Table 3.
Common pharmacotherapies used in clinical practice for PTSD*.
| Class | Proposed Mechanism | Examples |
| Antidepressants | SSRI | Paroxetine, sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, fluvoxamine |
| SNRI | Venlafaxine, duloxetine | |
| TCA | Imipramine, desipramine, amitriptyline, nortriptyline | |
| NaSSA | Mirtazapine | |
| SARI | Trazodone | |
| MAOI | Phenelzine, moclobemide | |
| NDRI | Bupropion | |
| Anxiolytic | 5-HT1a-agonist | Buspirone |
| Antiadrenergics | α1-antagonist | Prazosin, doxazosin, alfuzosin |
| α2 agonist | Guanfacine, clonidine | |
| Beta-antagonist | Propranolol | |
| Antipsychotics | Serotonin dopamine antagonists | Quetiapine, risperidone, olanzapine, aripiprazole, ziprasidone |
| Anticonvulsants | Mechanisms related to GABA and glutamate, possibly impacting limbic kindling | Valproate, carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, lamotrigine, topiramate, tiagabine |
| Benzodiazepines | Allosteric GABA receptor modulator | Alprazolam, chlordiazepam, chlorazepate, diazepam, lorazepam, oxazepam, temazepam, triazolam |
| Non-benzodiazepine Hypnotics | Bind to the GABAA receptor | Eszopiclone, zopiclone, zaleplon, zolpidem |
| Hypnotic | Melatonin receptor agonist | Ramelteon |
Abbreviations: GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid; MAOI, Monoamine oxidase inhibitor; NaSSA, Noradrenergic, and specific serotonergic antidepressant; NDRI, Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor; SARI, Serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor; SNRI, Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor; SSRI, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor; TCA, Tricyclic Antidepressant; 5-HT1a, serotonin 1A receptor.