PTSD

Patients with PTSD demonstrate increased levels of cortisol PMID XXXX. IMG

Although the diagnostic framework of PTSD requires traumatic antecedent, those who specialize in PTSD treatment consistently attest to the presence of characteristic PTSD symptomatology in the absence of trauma. Often, this is expressed by describing PTSD as a reaction to real or imagined trauma, despite the likelihood that imagining trauma is a near-universal experience. IMG

Only sertraline and paroxetine have FDA approval for PTSD: other antidepressants are prescribed off-label. Clonidine, an anti-cortisol PMID XXXX, is a generally accepted off-label treatment for PTSD: PMID 26322115, with limited risks, good apparent efficacy, and the subject of ongoing research for future treatment of PTSD: PMID XXXX. IMG