US - Study: Antipsychotic Drugs Show No Benefit for Veterans' PTSD

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edgarshade

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By Meredith Melnick Wednesday, August 3, 2011

With reader comments

http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/03/study-antipsychotic-drugs-show-no-benefit-for-veterans-ptsd/

A widely prescribed antipsychotic medication worked no better than a placebo to treat combat veterans' symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The study, led by Dr. John H. Krystal, director of the clinical neurosciences division of the Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD, involved 247 combat veterans who had PTSD that had failed to respond to at least two antidepressants, the usual treatment for post-traumatic stress. The participants were randomly assigned to begin treatment with placebo or the antipsychotic medication Risperdal (risperidone) — one of a class of drug that was prescribed to nearly 87,000 veterans for PTSD in 2009.

After six months, the researchers found that the veterans taking Risperdal showed no improvement of symptoms over the placebo group: about 5% of participants in both groups responded fully to the drug, while 10% to 20% reported some improvement of symptoms.

There were no significant differences between the groups in scores for depression, anxiety or quality of life. But participants in the Risperdal group were significantly more likely to report side effects like weight gain, fatigue and somnolence than those taking placebo.
Click to expand...
 
And if they want effective treatment, they have to break the law to get hold of MDMA.
 
Yet another disorder these drugs don't fix. I'm kind of suprised it has no effect on anxiety though, I thought it would probably help a bit. But maybe that's why my GF has to take 8mg clonazepam, 300mg pregabalin and 45mg mirtazepine a day along with the risperidone :\
 
Honestly, I never do this. Basically just reading the title and then posting... BUT WHAT THE FUCK?! They have been giving these poor soldiers with PTSD anti-psychotic drugs to fix their ptsd?!!? omg I always knew that a lot of you guys here and me are way more intelligent then most doctors but damn....this is ridiculous.. hopefully i didn't make an ass out of myself by posting this b4 reading the article.. ha!
 
Yep, almost 90,000 of them just in 2009, and it seems it doesn't really work.
 
You'd think so wouldn't you, seems they just try the stuff for anything. I don't really understand why, either, the patent has expired so it can't be the drug company pushing to find other uses. Maybe the doctors just can't think of anything else to do.
 
Antipschotics are extremely necessary tools, granted that's true. However, according to the recent study, it's being said that this drug is no more effective. As the country's spending budget combat has confirmed, the U.S. government has fought to keep up adequate resources for veterans' affairs including the therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to a brand new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the meds aren't working as advertised. Specifically, the most frequently prescribed post-traumatic stress disorder narcotics are evidently no better than placebos at treating the symptoms. The damaging side effects are there, though. Article source: Antipsychotics fail to alleviate PTSD symptoms in veterans.
 
Latest News about PTSD

ust thought i should share with you guys the latest news about PTSD that's apparently been experiencing by US Veterans.

United States veteran health care is currently in a labyrinth of inadequacy. Add to this the fact that some crucial medications do not work, as reported by a brand new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. According to the study, probably the most widely prescribed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) narcotics are no more useful than placebos at curing the condition, yet still have severe side effects like weight gain and exhaustion.

I'm really concerned about the hazardous effects of these so called drugs.This case should be taken seriously, considering the fact that US Veterans are fighting for a cause, and their health should be prioritized in any way possible.
 
How do these quacks even begin to think these drugs can possibly fix a person after they murdered innocent people adn watched their fellow soldiers get blown to pieces? No drug in this world short of a labotomy can fix those memories. Thats why these people have PTSD.
 
^ Yup. The US mental health community seems to have an odd perspective on antipsychotics compared to most countries. They are more widely used here than anywhere else, and are frequently prescribed for disorders many countries would not consider them for. They are often prescribed to kids with behavioral problems. It's messed up. Anti-psychotics should not be treated as lightly as we appear to treat them.

I'm not sure why they would be considered appropriate for veterans with PTSD. No, that's not accurate. It's pretty obvious why they are. Because there's great pressure on the Department of Veteran's Affairs to come up with a convenient solution to this increasing problem. Instead of maintaining our responsibility to the soldiers we sent to war for no reason, who were permanently psychologically injured for no reason, we want to give them a pill that makes them quiet and tell them to fuck off. Treating them costs too much money. Money the government doesn't have because of the wars and because rich people who run the government don't want to tax rich people.
 
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