Prazosin - how long to start working?

About 10 days ago I started 2 mg twice a day of Prazosin for PTSD and nightmares. I don't remember my nightmares, but I wake up with heart beating sometimes up to 140 beats per minute. I have sever daytime anxiety (physical). I was very hopeful 1st night on Prazosin I remembered my nightmares. Since then I don't and it doesn't seem to be helping. I'm suppose to go to 6 mg after second week and increase until 10 mg a day. Has Prazosin ever made someone's PTSD symptoms worse? My doctor said I'm very sensitive to medicines.

I was on 1mg of Prazosin up until about 3 months ago. I am now on 2mgs as the nightmares came back. I couldn't remember the nightmares most of the time, but they were interfering with me getting a good night's sleep. In all, I have been on it for over two years and it has worked for me.

Do you have high blood pressure also? I ask because 10mgs is really high for PTSD/nightmares. The Prazosin has lowered my blood pressure slightly and I don't have high blood pressure. I hope your dr. is monitoring yours. I would hate to find out that it bottomed out and you passed out from hypotension. Especially if you are very sensitive to medications.

Thanks. I'm trying to remain hopeful. My psychiatrist contacted a VA doctor friend of hers. My doctor said I'm probably going to have to go up to 10mg. (Yea I'm really messed.) Thanks for your concern. I actually do suffer from high blood pressure from time to time. Lately it's been going high even on Prazosin. I've been checking it twice a day.

I had to get up to 6-8 mg before it really helped me. Unfortunately, I already have low blood pressure, so that dosage kept making me pass out when I stood up, so I couldn't stay on it. But since you already have high blood pressure, that's probably not a concern to you.

I hope it helps and you're able to get some relief.

I started on 1mg and was slowly titrated up over several months. No effect at all until i got to 4mg, then noticed a gradual reduction in the frequency and intensity of nightmares and nighttime hypervigilance as the dosage increased.

My magic number seems to be 10mg. Nightmares greatly reduced, sleep up to 7hrs unbroken most nights (i was surviving on 4-5hrs broken sleep), and nighttime hypervigilance has eased some too. And the only negative side-effect is some slight dizziness if I stand up too quickly.

Have stayed at 10mg for around three months now and it continues to work well. And not just in terms of better sleep, I'm also having having less of what my team call day-nightmares. Could probably go to a higher dosage (and may over the holidays as they're a major trigger), but haven't wanted to risk increased side-effects.

In terms of lowering your blood pressure, that is something to watch out for. My blood pressure has always been high so Prazosin has actually been really helpful in that respect - I'm now sitting at the top end of the normal range instead of way over it. But for anyone whose BP is usually normal, or low, it would need to be monitored closely.

I do still have times when badly triggered that the nights become terrifying and sleepless again, but it tends to settle down after a few days now, rather than dragging on for weeks or months like it used to.

Fingers crossed you find a dosage that works for you.

Geis - Thank you for your support. I'm just starting 4mg a day and hopeful it will help.

GeminiNZ - Thanks for the detailed share. Here is mine. Maybe it will help someone. While I haven't remembered my nightmares in years - my body wakes up in state of total flight/fright for months. Nightmares I remember from first day on Prazosin where same ones or same theme from years past. But since then back to state of flight/fright/terror with no memory when I wake. I've been going through so much, and so many triggers, lately.

I know my mind is trying to protecting me. But I'd prefer to remember the nightmares. Waking up in such a state of terror with no reason makes things worst. Then my body remains there most of day, days, weeks... Another morning - same terror

As with you Holidays approaching worst time ever. I've always been in control until now. Realized I had PTSD, but never sought help out of fear until mom passed. My mom passed away this year. Brother is mentally ill and went missing. Well I made mistake of contacting our father to see if he went there. Let's just say some people don't change - even though they think they have. My body has been in shock/terror ever since. Not to de-grade abuse of any kind or level, but doc says it was extreme (daily fear of death of family and myself. Says I was terrorized.)

A quote by Buddha now makes so much since. It goes something like "The mind knows - The body remembers"