PTSD Drug Found Ineffective

A drug used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans isn’t effective in reducing the overall severity of the condition, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The medication did not have a significant effect on anxiety and depression, researchers reported.

The clinical trial, which took place over six months, found that the antipsychotic medication risperidone was no more effective than a placebo at preventing PTSD symptoms. Out of the 247 patients surveyed for the study, half received risperidone and half got the placebos. Although the drug did relieve nightmares and some nervousness, it did not “improve quality of life,” researchers said.

Risperidone is also used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Side effects include weight gain, drowsiness, diabetes, involuntary and repetitive movements and a rare but life-threatening nervous system disorder.
In 2009, nearly 87,000 veterans diagnosed with PTSD received an antipsychotic prescription, with nearly 94 percent of them for second-generation antipsychotics such as risperidone.

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