Ending Nightmares Caused By PTSD

Ending Nightmares Caused By PTSD
by AMY STANDEN
Everyone has nightmares sometimes. But for people with PTSD, it's different.

Sam Brace doesn't want to talk about what he saw when he was a soldier in Iraq eight years ago. In fact, it's something he's actively trying not to dwell on. But what he can't control are his dreams.

They're almost always about the same explosion. "When I was overseas, we'd hit an IED," Brace says. "When I have a nightmare, normally it's something related to that."

Healthy dreams seem kind of random, according to Steven Woodward, a psychologist with the National Center for PTSD at the VA Medical Center in Menlo Park, Calif. "They're wacky," he says. "They associate lots of things that are not normally associated."

PTSD dreams are the same real-life event played over and over again like a broken record.

"Replicative nightmares of traumatic events ... repeat for years," Woodward says. "Sometimes 20 years."

Scientists wanted to find out the reason why people with PTSD can't sleep and dream normally.

One theory comes from Matthew Walker, a psychology researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. His particular interest lies in rapid eye movement, or REM. It's the time during sleep when a lot of dreaming occurs.

It's also a time when the chemistry of the brain actually changes. Levels of norepinephrine — a kind of adrenaline — drop out completely. REM sleep is the only time of day when this happens.

That struck Walker as a mystery. "Why would rapid eye movement sleep suppress this neurochemical?" he asks. "Is there any function to that?"
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Prazosin Oral

Prazosin is used with or without other medications to treat high blood pressure.

Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems.

Prazosin belongs to a class of medications called alpha blockers. It works by relaxing and widening blood vessels so blood can flow more easily.

OTHER USES: This section contains uses of this drug that are not listed in the approved professional labeling for the drug but that may be prescribed by your health care professional.

Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional.

This drug may also be used to treat certain blood circulation disorders (Raynaud's phenomenon), as well as problems urinating due to an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia).

PRAZOSIN ORAL SIDE EFFECTS

Headache, drowsiness, tiredness, weakness, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation may occur as your body adjusts to the medication. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Lightheadedness or dizziness upon standing may also occur, especially after the first dose and shortly after taking a dose of the drug during the first week of treatment. To reduce the risk of dizziness and fainting, get up slowly when rising from a seated or lying position. If dizziness occurs, sit or lie down immediately. Your dose may need to be adjusted.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: pounding heartbeat, fainting, frequent urination, mental/mood changes (such as depression), swelling of the feet/ankles.

For males, in the very unlikely event you have a painful, prolonged erection (lasting more than 4 hours), stop using this drug and seek immediate medical attention, or permanent problems could occur.

PRAZOSIN ORAL PRECAUTIONS

This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy or cause blurred vision.

Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness or clear vision until you are sure you can perform such activities safely.

Do not drive or participate in hazardous activities for 24 hours after your first dose, any increase in your dosage, or restarting treatment. If your doctor prescribes any additional blood pressure drugs, avoid driving and hazardous activities for 24 hours after your first dose of the new medication. Limit alcoholic beverages.

To reduce the risk of dizziness and fainting, be careful when standing for long periods. Avoid getting overheated during exercise and hot weather. When first starting this drug, avoid situations where you may be injured if you faint.