Well, everyone's body is different. I can describe what's worked for me.

It's true that right now my meds need to be changed. However, the one medicine that I've been on for over a year specifically for nightmares is Prazosin. Its originally for blood pressure, but super low doses help PTSD nightmares. Right now I might need to change that, but it is helping and for a long time had been working really well.

Personally I have benefitted from antidepressants. Specifically have had the most success with Desipramine. No weight gain or numbness feeling, though it does give me heartburn if I dont take it with food. In the spectrum of meds Ive taken in the past, thats no problem for me.

I also have a mood stabilizer, Oxy...something I cant remember right now. It has helped a bit. Its a low dose. And for me, I have a lot of self destructive/addictive problems that have been kept at bay for a long while thanks majorly to taking Naltraxone. But that may not come with everyone's PTSD.

I also have a lot of anti-anxiety medicine. Im on a hefty dose of Neurontin. The doctor I have was willing to give me much, much more than others had in the past. He gives me 1500 mg x day while others would give me 100 mg and ignore me when I would say it was doing nothing...go figure. I take it every day as a pre-emptive strike on anxiety.

I still have anxiety but nowhere near the paralyzing anxiety I would have otherwise.

Oh and I take 200mg Trazadone for sleep. He says I can take up to 300 mg but that makes me feel too heavy.

Uhm. Hope that might help. Like I said, everyone is different. The key thing is to get a good doctor you can trust.

Prazosin is what I take for nightmares. It IS very helpful to me, personally. I would definitely recommend it.
Also - I wouldn't necessarily treat "PTSD" so much as I would treat the symptoms. If anxiety is an issue - maybe Klonopin or Ativan? Klonopin does wonders for my anxiety/panic attacks. I know Ativan is wonderful for my mother. Just depends on the person's body chemistry.
Depression - you can try any number of anti-depressants. Effexor XR is the best one that I have found for me, yet. I am also Bipolar, though, and it also helps with anxiety.
Topamax is what I take as a mood stabilizer and it seems to keep me on a nice even level for the most part (but that's just if you think your friend would benefit from a mood stabilizer)

Like I said - just treat the symptoms with medication. PTSD can really only be treated via talk therapy and that sort of thing. At least in my experience with it. Hope this helps! Best of luck to your friend.

I take celexa.. I have to say that I do not like it. I have been BNB on it for about 4 months now and I have not seen a change in my depression, and I have been doing everything on my part to help. Like exercising, meditation, therapy, and EMDR. We are here for you and your friend if you have anymore questions.

Is your "friend" under active treatment? I am curious.
Because self treatment with self diagnosis is a time bomb. I have a step daughter who has OCD and Bi-Polar as well as depression. She has at time bought from the street a few meds that he doctor didn't or won't prescribe. She is constantly searching the the web looking for new dx, herself, then going to clinic after clinic asking to be tested and medicated for them. It's scary when she misses. She also gets Ritalin, though not on her doctor scripts now. But because one clinic gave it to her after she gave it as a medicine history, they then found that she didn't need, but she wants it. I say this because it fed her High swings to extreme levels. The reason it was on her medicine history was she was getting it from a boyfriend and the street. So now jumping from doctor to doctor to get it. She also had 3 MRI's when she wanted to see if one doctor agreed with the next.

She stayed with me for 10 days, it was as a constant drama, extreme mood swings of attitudes.

Each person responds differently, a doctor will work with meds on a trial and error until the right combo that works the best is achieved. But perfection is not really in the picture just cope-able until capable gets caught up. Therapy helps the "capable".

My experience of PTSD meds was that they treated my symptoms, there being no treatment for the root cause of PTSD itself. So for anxiety, an anxiety medication. For insomnia, a sleeping pill. Etc.

Drugs: Prozac and prazosin.

I meditate, and exercise. I did EMDR, talk therapy and CBT.

Daytime I take 20mg lexipro. .5 as needed of klonapin during day.
100 mg seriquil 1.5 mg minipress 9mg melatonin, 5 mg valium at night still can't sleep sometimes
+ the aid of a ptsd service dog who is amazing

Oh I forgot weekly therapist visits and weekly groups. + I use nature sounds and cds for calming idk if that counts as mediation but more like visualization.

I have been on Xanax for anxiety and Trazodone for sleep