How It Works
If you have
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), your body may
release too much adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone that can make you feel
stressed and have nightmares.
Prazosin blocks some of the effects
of adrenaline released in your body. This may help reduce the nightmares and
sleep problems you have with PTSD.
Why It Is Used
By keeping you from having nightmares,
prazosin may help you get better sleep. With better sleep, you can feel
healthier and more alert. This may help lower your stress and help you feel
more in control of your life.
How Well It Works
Research shows that prazosin may
help reduce nightmares, one of the symptoms of PTSD.1
More research is needed to confirm its effectiveness for treating PTSD.
Side Effects
Side effects include:
- Low blood pressure (hypotension).
- A slow heart
rate (bradycardia).
- A cough or
wheezing, which means the airways that carry air to the lungs are narrowing
(bronchospasm).
- Thinking and acting more
slowly.
- Stuffy nose, headache, and swelling in the legs. These are
rare side effects.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug
Reference is not available in all systems.)
What To Think About
Since prazosin is more commonly
used for
high blood pressure, your doctor may want to look into
its benefits for PTSD.
Prazosin may help reduce your nightmares,
but it is not a cure for PTSD. Nightmares and anxiety may come back if you stop
taking your medicine.
Prazosin lowers blood pressure
(hypotension), which can make you feel dizzy. This usually stops when your body
is used to prazosin. Be careful not to stand up too fast, especially if your
dose has just been changed.
Erection drugs like Viagra also can
lower your blood pressure. If you're taking erection drugs along with prazosin,
your blood pressure may drop very fast. Tell your doctor if you're taking drugs
for erection problems.
Prazosin can be taken safely with other
PTSD medicines, such as antidepressants, but not with trazodone. Taking
prazosin with trazodone can cause the rare side effect of priapism. This is an
erection that doesn't go away, which can cause serious health problems.
Complete the new medication information form (PDF) (What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.
References
Citations
- Van Liempt S, et al. (2006). Pharmacotherapeutic
treatment of nightmares and insomnia in posttraumatic stress disorder: An
overview of the literature. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1071: 502–507.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
|---|
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
|---|
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Jessica Hamblen, PhD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder |
|---|
| Last Revised | January 13, 2011 |
|---|
Van Liempt S, et al. (2006). Pharmacotherapeutic
treatment of nightmares and insomnia in posttraumatic stress disorder: An
overview of the literature. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1071: 502–507.
