A few months ago, I read an article concerning a new development in the treatment of PTSD. The drug, Inderal (a Beta-blocker), was mentioned which caught my attention. One of our kids who was raped was taking Inderal at the time of the rape due to a serious tremor (he was prenatally exposed to crack cocaine). His rape, at age 8, was very violent and painful. However, he has gone on to be a healthy and social young adult--even student body president of his high school. He's talked to me about the rape and says he remembers it vividly but really never thinks about it nor has triggers.
Then, we also have his birth-brother, who is one year younger, same drug exposure. His rape, at age 7, was also very traumatic and painful. He was taking another drug, Clonodine (Catapres), which is used off-label for children with behavior issues. This son, an amazingly gifted athlete and who is also highly social, has severe and often crippling PTSD. He has psychogenic seizures, flash backs, fugue states, "sightings", nightmares, etc. EMDR helped but not much. He just can't seem to get past his abuse.
Now that this info has come out, I've often wondered if the Inderal made the difference. It scares me, though, that we could get to a point as a society where we would prophylactically treat soldiers with an anti-PTSD drug. That seems frightening. I do agree, though, that PTSD is treatable. It takes years, though, and a single med and a couple of sessions of therapy are not going to cut it. We can't fail these vets like we did those returning from past wars.
http://www.revolutionhealth.com/pages/all-about-post-traumatic-stress-disorder--ptsd-
"As with most anxiety disorders, a combination of psychotherapy and medication is usually felt to be the most effective treatment strategy for PTSD. Types of psychotherapy include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization) and Exposure therapy. Medications include antidepressants like Lexapro etc. (Escitalopram), Paxil etc. (Paroxetine) and Wellbutrin etc. (Bupropion).
One fascinating topic of research is in the use of a beta-blocker medication like Inderal etc. (Propranolol) for PTSD, Specifically, some researchers believe that in the moments following a traumatic event, the brain is flooded with excess adrenaline and noradrenaline and that this makes PTSD memories much more potent, Beta-blockers like Inderal block these neurotransmitters, and thus could blunt the ability of the brain to create the disturbing memory."
