Doxazosin Immediate Release as Alternative Treatment for Nightmares in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Report

Nightmares and flashbacks are common debilitating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that can disrupt daily functioning in patients. Prazosin, an alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist, has been commonly used off-label for the treatment of PTSD intrusion symptoms, although its short half-life is limiting. Doxazosin, another alpha-1 antagonist, is starting to be investigated in the treatment of PTSD-related nightmares due to its smaller side effect profile and longer half-life. In our case report, we present a case of a patient with PTSD-related nightmares who was successfully treated with doxazosin following relapse of symptoms after discontinuation of prazosin. The success of doxazosin immediate release for PTSD-related nightmares warrants further studies into its efficacy and use as an alternative treatment to prazosin.