(PsychCentral.com) — Researchers believe a blood pressure medication may relieve nightmares associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Mayo Clinic investigators have completed a systematic literature review of prazosin in the treatment of nightmares. Researchers investigated 12 prazosin studies, four of which were randomized controlled trials.
“The studies showed the drug was well-tolerated and can take effect rapidly, within days to weeks, and some patients reported a return of nightmares when the course of prazosin was stopped,” said Simon Kung, M.D., principal investigator of the study.
“There’s not much available for treating nightmares in terms of medications, so prazosin is a promising option,” Kung says.
He added that the literature review opens the possibility of widening the use of prazosin.
“Because of the low side effects of prazosin as reported in these studies, it seems logical to extend the use of prazosin to non-PTSD nightmares.”
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