Prazosin for Treating Noncombat Trauma Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Status: Terminated
• Trial end date: 2010-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of prazosin in treating post-traumatic stress disorder caused by noncombat trauma in individuals taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Seattle Institute for Biomedical and Clinical Research
• Collaborator: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Treatments: Prazosin

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) diagnosis of PTSD, as derived from the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS)

• Stabilized on any necessary medications for at least 4 weeks prior to study entry

• Score of greater than 4 on the CAPS Recurrent Distressing Dreams item (maximum score of 8)

• Score of greater than 4 on the CAPS Difficulty Falling or Staying Asleep item (maximum score of 8)

• Agrees to use an effective form of contraception throughout the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any acute or significant chronic medical illness

• Any unstable medical condition

• Unstable angina, recent heart attack, history of congestive heart failure, pre-existing hypotension (systolic blood pressure less than 110 mm Hg), or orthostatic hypotension

• Insulin-dependent diabetes

• Chronic kidney or liver failure

• Pancreatitis or gout

• Meniere's disease, benign positional vertigo, or narcolepsy

• Allergy or previous adverse reaction to prazosin or other alpha-1 antagonist

• Currently taking another alpha-1 antagonist agent

• Pregnant

• DSM-IV diagnosis of cognitive disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or other psychotic disorder

• Current delirium

• Active substance dependence disorder within 3 months of study entry

• Current substance use other than alcohol (no more than 2 drinks per day)

• Severe psychiatric instability or situational life crises, including evidence of suicidal or homicidal ideation

• Currently taking any other psychotropic medication (e.g., antidepressants, benzodiazepines, anti-convulsants, anti-psychotics, sedating antihistamines, sedatives/hypnotics (exclusionary medications will be discontinued and participants will undergo a 2-week washout period before baseline assessments)