post traumatic stress Community Group

for people who have been diagonose with ptsd

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nightmare meds.

Group Foundervietnam2nd
vietnam2nd
i over a month ago start meds for nightmares. the meds are helping i still have them just not as often. the doctor next month is going to increase the meds if i still are having them. if you don't take anything for them ask your doctor about the drug prazosin. i hope you find this helpful.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Are you experiencing any side effects?
Group Foundervietnam2nd
vietnam2nd
no i am not it can cause low blood presure. i could afford to have it lower as i run high blood pressure. i am now running nomal blood presure.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Ok, thanks.
deleted_user
deleted_user
thanks for the info, I will check with my Doctor
deleted_user
deleted_user
If you take prazosin in too high dosages you'll start peeing on yourself. It also is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, and paralyzes the sympatheic muscles in your bladder. I was on 2mg, and the nightmares weren't gone but better... after a while I was up to 7mg, and pissing on myself all the time. By the time the need to pee hits... it's too late.

I asked my doc to push me back down to 2mg, and that is working much better. Combined with Ambien to sleep, and a small push of Valium I can sleep a full 8 without dreaming...

Hope this helps.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Thanks for the update - I've not slept a full night nor a night without terrors in 24 years....then while in the hospital for a broken pelvis, I would have even worse night terrors due to the narcotic pain meds. I asked to speak with the in-house shrink, who started me on "Gabapentin" - initially used as an anti-seizure med, now commonly used for those diagnosed with Shingles. Studies found that it has been very useful in night terrors for PTSD - and they weren't kidding! The first night I was on the lowest dose (300mg) and slept dream free and all night!