Fluoxetine in posttraumatic stress disorder

• Published in: The journal of clinical psychiatry Vol. 55; no. 12; pp. 517 - 522
• Main Authors: VAN DER KOLK, B. A, DREYFUSS, D, MICHAELS, M, SHERA, D, BERKOWITZ, R, FISLER, R, SAXE, G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Memphis, TN Physicians Postgraduate Press 01-12-1994
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Ambulatory Care; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Child Abuse, Sexual - statistics & numerical data; Double-Blind Method; Female; Fluoxetine - therapeutic use; Hospitals, Veterans; Humans; Life Change Events; Male; Medical sciences; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Placebos; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psycholeptics: tranquillizer, neuroleptic; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - drug therapy; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Treatment Outcome; Veterans - psychology; Human; Chemotherapy; Posttraumatic syndrome; Treatment; Serotonin; Anxiety disorder; Reuptake inhibitor; Stress
• ISSN: 0160-6689; 1555-2101

This study was designed to establish the efficacy of the serotonin reuptake blocker fluoxetine in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
64 subjects (22 women and 42 men; 31 veterans and 33 nonveterans) with PTSD entered a 5-week randomized double-blind trial comparing fluoxetine (N = 33) and placebo (N = 31).
By Week 5 fluoxetine, but not placebo, significantly reduced overall PTSD symptomatology, as assessed by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) score. Changes were most marked in the arousal and numbing symptom subcategories. Non-VA patients responded much better than VA patients. Fluoxetine was an effective antidepressant independent of its effects on PTSD.
Fluoxetine is an effective pharmacotherapeutic agent for treating PTSD and its associated features, particularly in patients without chronic treatment histories.