Here I was sitting on the lounge last night, watching current affairs 60 minutes, when Propranolol comes on with PTSD straight out of the mouth following suite. So, my interest obviously diverted immediately to sit up and take notice of this one. My immediate thoughts, is this going to be another drug company push with some moronic doctor behind it, or are they going to give me something new to look at. Well, sorry, it was the first one, moronic doctor trying to redefine old treatment, nothing new.

Here I was watching this Harvard professor go on about the tests done on rats using Propranolol, and then on humans, and how wonderful it has worked on those few people you seen on TV, how it stopped all their intrustive memories by just taking a pill, yet funnily enough nobody was put on TV who had the adverse reactions, and there would be plenty. All I heard was what they wanted the public to hear, a person taking a drug that has no side effects, so that must mean everyone can take the drug with no side effects?

That makes me curious obviously, in that the specific trial they had people upon TV saying how much better they where within a week, how they now functioned in society overnight basically, from taking this drug, compared to having PTSD, when the doctors actually don't know which of the sufferers are taking the drug, and which are taking the placebo, yet they put people on TV with results, when they could be on the placebo. That could be a little embarrassing don't you think? Two years time when the trial finishes, oooopppppsssss... we cured someone with PTSD from a sugar pill, all because its in their mind, being a mental illness and all, so what the brain believes, the brain works with.

Think it doesn't happen? Why do you think in every trial you have an equal placebo group, that group on sugar pills and a percentage always improve. Why? Because they believe their on the real medication, so their mind makes them believe nothing is wrong, and that they can function once again. Gee... that sounds like the exact thing we do here at this forum, but without the pills! Our mind is our best, and worst enemy, and learning to take control of it is the secret to fixing PTSD itself. Heal trauma, take control of mind = no more serious issues in life, until the next time that is.

I just about wanted to throw something at the TV last night when I seen this shit about propranolol being a miracle wonder drug, in that it caps of part of the adrenalin system that pumps adrenalin, hence causes panic and anxiety. In the next breathe they labelled those against the cause as skeptics, yet the words that came out of their mouths where not sceptical, but logical, being; they don't believe the long term effects of manipulating the bodies adrenal system could be good, in that if the body does what it should do, it will fight back against blocking its adrenal another way, causing another issue somewhere down the line, one which they have not measured yet, or found. This is very common in miracle wonder drugs, where people jump in feet first from the recommendation of doctors, then wnat to sue them years down the track for giving them something, that at the end of the day, they chose to take, the doctor did not force it down their throat. These so called skeptics are not skeptical of the drug working, they ackowledge it worked across a majority of patients, however; their skeptical of trying to cap and suppress emotions surrounding memories for the long term effects this could cause, and it will cause eventually, but by then it will be too late.

The brain can suppress things so long. You can take pills to help it along, suppress away, your body becomes used to those pill eventually, builds a natural immunity to them, etc etc. This is your bodies way of telling you, these things are wrong, and that trying to shut things down with medication is wrong, and your body fights back, builds immunity, makes things more intense and difficult for you, and the list goes on.

Now, my take on this. What would be a more appropriate use for such a medication? I would think this medication would have more benefit in not trying to put people on it for life, and ignore the root of their problems, as these doctors very much want too do, but instead get them healing, facing their trauma, facing their fear, stop pussy footing around things, and use the drug through the healing stage to help control panic and anxiety attacks as fear is faced. That to me sounds like a very logical, ethical solution, where the patients overall well being and health is place foremost, instead of just for bottom line profits which disguists me to no end.

This use of propranolol would certainly make healing much better for PTSD sufferers, but taking it as a reliance pill, four times a day, popping a pill into your system to help prevent it pumping adrenalin. Do you see a little bit of an issue with that or what? The doctor makes his arguement as; if a person came in with a broken leg bone, is it ethical to not give them morphine for the pain? Then why is it any different for mental health he claims.

Well, the difference here is that morphine is a short term drug given to help pain until it is treated, which treatment is prompt. A doctor would not give you morphine to take the entire time your leg is broken, nor would they give you morphine to take home with you whilst it is still healing and some pain or discomfort will be endured. He forgot to put this into his argument!

So why would you try and suppress a bodies natural mechanism which has much purpose? Adrenalin does more than invoke panic / anxiety attacks within us, and by intentionally capping it to prevent one issue, you will cause other issues, for example; adrenalin is the bodies natural stimulant to help with other illnesses, to fight cancer and life threatening diseases forming in our bodies. Adrenalin is not just a kick for us, it is our bodies system to help us fight internal issues. This is why some doctors are skeptical about using propranolol to treat anxiety, where doing one thing is lining the body up to cause other issues.

Like these other doctors said, the mind always wins, and regardless how much we try and suppress something, put it behind us and so forth, the mind always wins, and will prevail each and every time, regardless the measure one takes to try and cap or suppress it. That is the factual truth, because the mind does always have a way of shutting the body down when it becomes over-loaded, and propranolol will be no different, the mind will fight back.

I would only recommend people to use it whilst actively healing, being actively working through their trauma. This doesn't take a decade either, so its use should be no longer than 6 - 12 months, to help take the edge of panic and anxiety when facing the fear, thus the healing process could be a little easier. Saying that, by doing so, possibly the healing process won't be as effective either, as your capping the bodies adrenal system which is part of allowing a feeling, sensation to activate within our body, so we know how to control it with our mind, not with a drug.

These things piss me off when half a story is shown, half the facts, and one or two doctors just want to get their name viewed within the world to feed their own self esteem issues and desires.

Now, this is something that is more cutting edge, more inline with likely finding something to fix PTSD and other illnesses with the use of drugs short term, not long term.
This is currently being tested for illnesses such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons, however; the limits are endless where it may go. Basically, the safest way they are looking to activate these stems cells into creating new one's and fixing the brain itself, is through the use of a pill which will put the right combination of chemicals into the body to activate the stem cell growth within the brain, so basically without having to have brain surgery, this is the safest more effective way.

They have found it, they have activated it, now they are just looking at how to do it easier with a pill, and allow that to trigger the growth for new stem cells, to replace the old dead one's or damaged one's that cause brain diseases and issues. This research will give a whole new meaning to mental health cure on the horizon, as the pill basically tricks the body into repairing itself, reversing the damage caused to cells by a degenerative disease.

As PTSD is a neurological imbalance, hopefully this is a more effective way to simply repair damaged cells within our brain, forcing growth in other areas to wipe it out, and be left with nothing more than merely trauma to heal.

Anytime you hear that some drug has become "the wonder drug", run like hell because within 10 years you can bet your butt there will be lawsuits all over the place!

As far as I'm concerned, any "doctor" who promotes these medications should automatically lose their license!

bec

propanolol sent me straight down the shitter...Hope I NEVER EVER feel that way again.... Hadn't experienced anything so scary since Wellbutrin and Zoloft together.

I love how they pranced one, and I do mean one only, patient onto TV to tell everyone how they had no side effects. Wow, that must be a recommendation to take the drug, and the problem is, is that most don't know better, which means they will find out the hard way. Now, have a look at the actual recorded side effects of taking propranolol:
If you missed it, I highlighted some very important side effects within the central nervous system area, which when you look at the side effects, a person who suddenly takes this medication could actually make their symptoms much worse, considering this is being tested to block trauma, and when you look at the side effects, don't they miraculously look the same as symptoms of PTSD?

So, if you don't have PTSD and are prescribed this drug to block trauma, your still likely to get the side effects, now replicating symptoms which you didn't have at first... amazing how one drug creates symptoms so physicians can use those side effects to then diagnose disorders that actually don't exist, hence you become entrapped in a web of medication. They make you sick to treat you with more medication. Interesting cycle ha? People all around the world are buying into it too....

Having read what you wrote, it sparked further interest for me and so I researched it some, even watched clips from that same 60 min. show that you watched, and I have to say, I am quite annoyed and upset with it all, too. Somewhat frustrated as there is so much I want to say, and yet it's too difficult for me to put it into words tonight. I'd like to get around to discussing too. I will say tonight that those labeled skeptics were indeed rather being completely logical. I saw this too.

starts laughing at it

Oh, thats right, it isn't april 1st yet.

I caught that one too, mum went ooh, I told her to shove that shit I was NOT taking it.
cass

Here in the US, the use of propranolol has sparked interest in the entertainment world. There were two shows on the same week with the use of this drug. Interesting, I must say, but knowing what I know now and how you can live with ptsd, taking it is too big of a risk. And...how exactly does someone test this drug on rats??

Heard about it, researched it and said HELL NO.

I'd rather be back on the 'pro than take that crap.

I smell litigation.

Did you read about the fact that the military has signed on with this? They are going to force all their "at risk" personelle to take this shit when they get back..

Yeah nice, NOT.

bec