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Propranolol for reemergent posttraumatic stress disorder following an event of retraumatization: A case study
Author(s) -
Taylor Fletcher,
Cahill Larry
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1023/a:1020145610914
Subject(s) - propranolol , posttraumatic stress , medicine , rating scale , psychiatry , psychology , anesthesia , developmental psychology
This case report concerns a 44‐year‐old woman who experienced 5 similar motor vehicle accidents, the last 3 causing severe PTSD episodes of over 6 months each, despite multiple pharmacotherapies. Following a 6th accident, severe PTSD symptoms reemergcd. Forty‐eight hours after this trauma, propranolol (60 mg) orally, twice a day (1.75 mg/kg/day) was begun, and the PTSD symptoms were rapidly and markedly reduced. The Clinician‐Administered PTSD Rating Scale score was reduced from an initial 86 to 56 by 11 days posttrauma. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the effects of propranolol treatment on reemergent PTSD symptoms. Propranolol may be particularly efficacious in the prevention of initial or reemergent PTSD symptoms.