Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic, debilitating anxiety disorder. While there is evidence that antibiotics such as minocycline may help to improve symptoms in some psychiatric disorders, no human studies have evaluated their potential as a treatment for PTSD. METHODS: We present results from 4 men aged 33 to 59 years who completed a 12-week pilot, prospective, nonrandomized, open-label clinical trial of adjunctive minocycline for veterans diagnosed with PTSD. RESULTS: All 4 patients showed reduction in PTSD symptoms at the end of the 12-week study, and 3 patients showed reduction in depression symptoms. Observed changes in inflammatory biomarkers are discussed. DISCUSSION: Previous studies have reported increased inflammation in PTSD, though evidence of a potential therapeutic effect of minocycline for PTSD has not been reported previously in humans. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that antibiotics like minocycline may help to reduce symptoms of PTSD, though further investigation is needed to confirm these findings.