Doxazosin Immediate Release as a Novel Treatment for Nightmares in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Abstract

Nightmares and flashbacks are common debilitating symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that can disrupt daily functioning. Prazosin, an alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist, has been commonly used off-label for the treatment of these intrusion symptoms, although its short half-life makes it so that often multiple doses are needed. Doxazosin, another alpha-1 antagonist, is starting to be investigated in the treatment of PTSD-related nightmares due to its lesser side effect profile and longer half-life. In our case series, we present three cases of patients with PTSD-related nightmares who were successfully treated with doxazosin following a relapse of symptoms after discontinuation of prazosin for various reasons. The success of doxazosin immediate release for PTSD-related nightmares warrants further studies into its efficacy and use as an alternative treatment to prazosin.