Medications
“Find the medication that works for you.”
Craig "Stu" Shipley
U.S. Marine Corps, 1964-1968
Medications
Available en Español
Certain medications can be used to treat PTSD symptoms. The 3 recommended medications for PTSD are paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), and venlafaxine (Effexor). If you decide to try a medication, you will work with your provider to check on your response, side effects, and to change your dose, if needed.
Learn more about which medications are most effective for PTSD and those that are not recommended.
- Medications for PTSD
Medications that have been shown to be helpful in treating PTSD symptoms are some of the same medications also used for symptoms of depression and anxiety. - MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD
Learn about research helping us to understand whether psychedelic drugs like MDMA, in combination with talk therapy, might help people with PTSD have a better response to treatment. - Benzodiazepines for PTSD
Some medications, including benzodiazepines (or "benzos"), are not recommended for PTSD. Benzodiazepines are medications given by a doctor to improve anxiety and sleep. They do not help with PTSD symptoms and can have serious side effects over time.
Which PTSD treatment is best for you?
No one treatment is right for everyone. The PTSD Treatment Decision Aid is an online tool to help you work with your provider to find the best treatment for you. Using the decision aid, you can read about treatments and watch videos explaining how they work. You can also build a chart to compare the treatments you think might work best for you and print a personalized summary that lists your treatment goals, preferences, and any questions to share with your provider.
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