Every day, thousands of American service members relive the trauma of war in their sleep

First a warning on Prazosin

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.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

Now they want to give it active duty troops as well? Huh?

Old Drug Brings New Promise for PTSD-related Nightmares
Department of Defense
By Christine Creenan-Jones
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

BETHESDA, Md., June 13, 2014 – Every day, thousands of American service members relive the trauma of war in their sleep. They hear explosions, see the carnage of battle erupt around them and feel the crushing weight of a painful combat memory resurface in their dreams.

Unfortunately, frequent nightmares are common among service members with post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, they disrupt sleep, which can magnify the daytime symptoms of PTSD and stymie the recovery process significantly.

“Although psychotherapy is the best treatment for PTSD, it’s less impactful when a patient is tired, irritable, anxious or unable to concentrate because recurring nightmares continuously disrupt their sleep,” said Army Lt. Col. Jess Calohan, program director for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program at the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing, part of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences here.

In 2005, Calohan began working with Dr. Murray Raskind, who discovered that a largely obsolete blood pressure medication called prazosin appeared to be effective for treating PTSD-related nightmares. In his own practice, Raskind, director of the Northwest Network Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center at Veterans Affairs, used prazosin to treat Vietnam War veterans with PTSD.

Theoretically, the drug blocks the effects of adrenaline in areas of the brain thought to be responsible for causing nightmares during sleep. Raskind found that prazosin was tremendously successful at improving sleep quality and other PTSD-related symptoms.

Still, Raskind wondered if prazosin also would work on active duty service members. Their combat experiences were different, and they weren’t as far removed from the fight as the Vietnam War-era patients in his study.
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