ptsd Meds For Ptsd,need Help?

[Oiler1995]

Is anyone taking any PTSD,depression,anxiety etc. drugs that are helping.I know most of the meds out there are used to treat many disorders.I been on so many throughout the years,but none ever helped me and gave me bad side effects.A few years ago the VA put me on Effexor.I felt I was doing okay on this med,until I was told by my wife,it's really not normal to be scrubbing the floors at 3 in the morning.I was recently told I should consider going back on meds,but I am so scared because of my past experiences.Phychiatry to me is a soft science,I been to so many of them and it was like they basically threw a dart at a dart board,ok let's try this one.Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[Mikemmlj]

All I can recommend is do your own research. You can become a strong self advocate by going through the internet and being able to tell the psychiatrist what side effects you are concerned about.

[Navy04]

I have had just about every med or physical form of treatment, including 3 months in a Civilian Hospital and nothing worked for me, but that is just my experience. A lot of Vets tell me the meds help them. They make me worse most days. I woke up at 2am and by the time the family got up for school and work, I had already watched a 3 hour movie, Lol!!!

[USMC_HVEQ]

try Buproprion(Wellbutrin) it helps perk you up, take it twice a day...Sertraline(Zoloft) never did much for me and i took that off/on for 8 yrs....i've noticed a difference, but to each their own. its worth a try. remember changing drugs takes time and it takes time for it to get into your system and effect changes.

[Oiler1995]

Thank you,yesterday I seen my Phychiatrist.I couldn't believe the session was an hour and a half.I been to so many Psychiatrists at the VA over the years,and never had a session over a half hour.Like I said,I'm afraid of Meds because of past experiences but she made me feel such at ease and comfortable.The end result was to start on Lexapro along with ambien as needed,as I have severe sleep issues.I'll being taking my first dose of Lexapro this morning,and I'm not afraid.What a great Phychiatrist she was.I hope I get some relief from it.

[Oiler1995]

I have had just about every med or physical form of treatment, including 3 months in a Civilian Hospital and nothing worked for me, but that is just my experience. A lot of Vets tell me the meds help them. They make me worse most days. I woke up at 2am and by the time the family got up for school and work, I had already watched a 3 hour movie, Lol!!!

That's better then scrubbing your kitchen floor at 3 in the morning,LOL.

[bob barker]

try yoga

[Tbird]

Thank you,yesterday I seen my Phychiatrist.I couldn't believe the session was an hour and a half.I been to so many Psychiatrists at the VA over the years,and never had a session over a half hour.Like I said,I'm afraid of Meds because of past experiences but she made me feel such at ease and comfortable.The end result was to start on Lexapro along with ambien as needed,as I have severe sleep issues.I'll being taking my first dose of Lexapro this morning,and I'm not afraid.What a great Phychiatrist she was.I hope I get some relief from it.

Ambien worked great for me for sleep, I just took it for a short time but it was helpful. I found Celexa to be the best anti-depressant for me. Effexor made we want to choke people 24/7 and if I missed a morning dose I was going through withdrawal by noon, it was not good for me at all.

When I started taking anti-anxiety meds I told my dr I wanted to start with the least addictive ones first and I would only up that if I tried a few others and they didn't work. That worked out best for me. A good psychiatrist can really make a difference. I'm glad you got one and I hope the lexapro works for you, I know several folks who have gotten good results with it. Remember I think it takes 4 - 6 weeks to kick in but you may want to read up on that.

[Oiler1995]

Thank you.I am definetly committed to sticking with the Lexapro for 4 to 6 weeks.And im going to try Yoga,my vet center has it a few times a week.I heard it can do wonders,for alot of emotional issues.

[Mikemmlj]

Klonopin

[bob barker]

Thank you.I am definetly committed to sticking with the Lexapro for 4 to 6 weeks.And im going to try Yoga,my vet center has it a few times a week.I heard it can do wonders,for alot of emotional issues.

I have done yoga at a vet center and at a normal studio. It might just be me but I'd rather pay to do yoga at a studio rather then going to a vet center.

[13Bcannoncocker]

Been on tons of meds since 2004. The best medication for me was and is, lots of exercise weight training, and eating a healthy well balanced diet. Figured out what vitamins my body was missing through a simple blood test and got those vitamins and minerals through supplementation. Also quit drinking/smoking and limit coffee intake. Best I've ever felt, but still far from normal. For me the side effects of anti depressants/psychotics and sleeping meds were far to much to handle. Now I stick to Propranolol 20mg which is used to treat stage fright, not classed as a SSRI's, was first used to treat high blood pressure. And melatonin over the counter for those really sleepless nights. Good luck to you. I hope you find something that makes life easier and more enjoyable.

[carlie]

Thank you,yesterday I seen my Phychiatrist.I couldn't believe the session was an hour and a half.I been to so many Psychiatrists at the VA over the years,and never had a session over a half hour.Like I said,I'm afraid of Meds because of past experiences but she made me feel such at ease and comfortable.The end result was to start on Lexapro along with ambien as needed,as I have severe sleep issues.I'll being taking my first dose of Lexapro this morning,and I'm not afraid.What a great Phychiatrist she was.I hope I get some relief from it.

Keep in mind that the psychiatrist usually does a little talk therapy but their main thing to do

is medication management. It sounds like you've found one actually willing to listen.

Most of the actual mental health therapy / treatment itself is done by the psychologist.

It is always up to the individual if they want to try or to continue medications.

I've found that in group settings some vets can be cruel to other vets by trying to

one up them when they get a chance.

Personally I was in a veterans MH group and one member told another member,

"Well your problems can't be that bad because they don't have you on any meds."

I went ballistic and the member was expelled from the group, mind you this person

had the mindset to make statements like this frequently to members.

IMO - Therapy / treatment for MH issues are to help us deal with our day to day lives

in the best ways we can, hopefully in better ways than before therapy / treatment.

In therapy / treatment we learn what our triggers are, why we have them and learn to replace

some of our past ways with positive coping skills, thru changing how we act and react to

stress, anxiety and depression, to deal with them.

I also feel that therapy / treatment for MH issues will NEVER make the issues go away.

They will still be there, we lived thru the situations - it's how we deal with them now

that is important.

BTW - In some situations it is also good for family members to attend therapy, either

sometimes with you or alone on their own.

This helps them understand us and why we do some of the things we do and have some

of the fears we have, etc....

jmho

[13Bcannoncocker]

Carlie,

Thanks for writing that:) I forgot to mention how much therapy has helped me as well. Though it did take a while to find the right one.
I managed to find one that really has helped me move forward and learn to live with the mental health issues. On that note to all that are reading this and feel like they cannot find a therapist that cares or helps you, keep on looking they are out there!

[WVSERVER]

^{I went to therapy twice a week with the psychologist and monthly visits to the psychiatrist for eight months on top of taking Zoloft and trazadone. The meds only help for a short period of time before the doses had to be upped finally the large doses started to make me sick I would vomit and fell sick about an hour after taking them. I followed this up with group therapy which just pissed me off on most days, one the social worker expected me to be there 4 day a week which I could not do I actually like to see my kids and wife during the week all I was doing was going to VAMC and WORK. I hated the group environment it seem like everyone was trying to one up which I don't do because I don't give a crap enough to care.}

[knap-sack]

Zoloft or the generic takes the edge off. I dont like the trazodone.

[crazyhorse3022]

Lorazepam helps me

[bob barker]

If your in a MMJ legal state I would recommend high CBD low thc marijuana. The strain AC/DC comes to mind. Had some test at 13% cbd 1% thc. You dont get high, it has more of a calming effect.

Edit: I'm not sure if this post is ok or not. I dont know how marijuana is viewed here.

[jeffperry1134]

A medicine that is a blood pressure medicine that has shown to help with nightmares is Clonidine. I have been taking it for a few months and had noticed a little improvement.

[Cannabis]

I agree with bob barker above.

after extensive research, I discovered that many vets were using medical cannabis (aka the slang term: marijuana).

vets in states where it is legal (and others, too, I suspect) are using cannabis to decrease opiates, anti-depressants/anxiety and sleeping pills.

apparently some vets do ok with all the pharma drugs. but, many do not. this forum at hadit.com proves that many vets are unhappy with the efffects of the drugs they take and look for other approaches. i took care of my mother until she passed away in my arms. she could not sleep and she tried ambien which made her drugged, so much that I found her on the floor of her bedroom, laughing at having fallen, twice. she only had one kidney (thanks to prescription drugs that killed her other kidney). cannabis helped her sleep, with no side effects, other than sleepy. which is what we wanted. and i myself use cannabis for sleep. it's wonderful. nice relaxing drift-off. no morning hangover.

medical cannabis also helps with withdrawals, tapering down, as well as assisting opiates in pain relief.

if you want a doctor to help with those things, in the "legal" states, that is available as many doctors will support and help you. In colorado, for example, you have choice of many doctors and clinics to help with pain management including cannabis. and they will help find the right strains to use. mostly-indica and lower thc varieties seem to work for many in decreasing pain. it's impossible to overdose in a technical sense. yes, you can take too much and be uncomfortable for awhile, but no physiological or psychological harm is done. and taking too much can be averted by using common sense.

One Love,

/s/ Sistah Cannabis

"cannabis is the healing of a nation." ~ Bob Marley, original freedom fightah