Biological treatment of OCD

• Drug therapy

  For mental disorders, drug therapy aims to either increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the brain or their activity. Since levels of serotonin can be associated with OCD, drugs to treat OCD work in various ways to increase the level of serotonin in the brain.
• SSRI's 1/2

  70% of OCD victims are treated with ^

  The standard medical treatment used to tackle the symptoms of OCD involves an antidepressant drug : Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor. SSRI’s work on the serotonin system in the brain; serotonin is released by certain neurons in the brain. Its released by presynaptic neurons and travels across a synapse. The neurotransmitter chemically conveys the signal from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron and then it is reabsorbed by the presynaptic neuron where its broken down and reused.
• SSRI's 2/2

  SSRIs prevent the reabsorption and breakdown and therefore effectively increase levels of serotonin in the synapse and thus continue to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron. This compensates for whatever is wrong in the serotonin system in OCD. Dosage and other advice vary according to which SSRI is prescribed. A daily dose of fluoxetine (Prozac) is 20mg but may be increased if it isn’t benefiting the person. It can be taken as capsules or liquid and it usually takes 3/4 months of daily use to have much impact on symptoms.
• Combining SSRI’s with other treatment

  Drugs are often used alongside CBT to treat OCD.The drugs reduce a person's emotional symptoms - feeling anxious or depressed. This means people with OCD can engage more effectvely with the CBT. Some people respond best to CBT alone whilst others benefit more when additionally using drugs like fluoxetine. Other drugs are usually prescribed alongside SSRI.
• Alternatives to SSRIs 1/3

  When an SSRI isn't effective after 3/4 months the dose can be increased or it can be combined with other drugs. Sometimes different antidepressants are tried since people respond differently to different drugs and alternatives work well for some people and not at all for others.
• Alternatives to SSRIs 2/3

  • Tricyclics - An older type of antidepressant eg. clomipramine. This acts on various systems including the serotonin system where it has the same effects as SSRIS. Clomipramine has more severe side effects than SSRIs so its generally reserved for people who don't respond to SSRIs.
• Alternatives to SSRI’s 3/3

  • SNRI’s - serotonin - noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors. They have more recently been used to treat OCD. They’re a different class of antidepressant drugs and are a second line of defence for people who don't respond to SSRIs. SNRIs increase levels of serotonin as well as noradrenaline.