Prazosin for Adolescent Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

What is it about?

PTSD affects up to one in four trauma-exposed young people, yet proven treatments remain scarce. We report the case of a 16-year-old with severe, treatment-resistant PTSD whose recurring nightmares and sleep disturbances drove hospitalization, self-harm, and emotional crisis. After nine failed medications, a single nightly dose of prazosin — a medication that quiets the brain's overactive stress signaling — nearly eliminated his nightmares within days. Over five months, his PTSD severity score fell from 61 to 11. This case highlights sleep as a central treatment target, not an afterthought.

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Photo by mohamad azaam on Unsplash

Photo by mohamad azaam on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This is the first reported case of prazosin monotherapy producing full symptomatic remission in an adolescent with severe, treatment-resistant PTSD. As youth trauma rates rise globally, clinicians urgently need practical and accessible options. Prazosin is inexpensive, widely available, and well tolerated. For the many young patients who cannot access specialized trauma therapy, prazosin offers a compelling, evidence-informed alternative worth serious clinical attention.