Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

Right now two medications, paroxetine (Paxil but not Paxil CR) and sertraline (Zoloft) have FDA approval for treating PTSD. Other medications in the SSRI class are also probably effective—in fact, if one SSRI is ineffective or has intolerable side effects, a second SSRI may prove beneficial and well tolerated.

Based on the research evidence, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Practice Guidelines recommends an SSRI antidepressant as the best first-line treatment for PTSD. The six SSRIs available in the United States are:

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps transfer information from one brain cell (neuron) to another. Imbalances in serotonin are thought to play a major role in causing or continuing PTSD. Antidepressant medications may work by correcting these imbalances. The antidepressants known as SSRIs are unlike most other antidepressants in that they have little effect on neurotransmitters other than serotonin. Although quite different in their chemical structures, these medications share the property of inhibiting serotonin reuptake, so their modes of action and side effects are similar.

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