A Placebo-Controlled Augmentation Trial of Prazosin for Combat Trauma PTSD
Abstract
Trauma content nightmares and sleep disturbance are among the most distressing and debilitating symptoms of military posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We performed a randomized placebo-controlled trial of prazosin, a brain-active alpha-1 adrenoreceptor antagonist, for PTSD nightmares, sleep disturbance, ability to function, and overall PTSD severity in 67 active duty Service Members returned from combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Prazosin or placebo were titrated upward over six weeks guided by trauma nightmare reduction. Achieved doses were continued for an additional nine weeks. Mean achieved prazosin doses were 4.0 +/- 1.4 mg at midmorning and 15.6 +/- 6.0 at bedtime. Prazosin was significantly superior to placebo for reducing trauma nightmares, improving sleep quality, improving global function and reducing total PTSD symptom scores. Prazosin was well tolerated, with no differences between prazosin and placebo on blood pressure or adverse events. These results suggest that prazosin is a useful treatment for combat-induced PTSD in active duty Service Members with distressing nighttime PTSD symptoms.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA613635
Entities
People
- Murray A. Raskind
Organizations
- Seattle Institute for Biomedical and Clinical Research