drug therapies

• antidepressants are used to treat OCD, which elevate levels of serotonin and cause the orbital frontal cortex to function at more normal levels. the most common SSRI used with aadults is fluoetine. anxiolytic drugs are also used due to their anxiety lowering properties. antipsychotic durgs have a dopamine lowering effect have also proven useful in treating OCD, though they are only generally given after treatment with SSRIs hasn't proven effective
• Pigott and Seay

  reviewed studies testing the effectiveness of drug therapies, finding SSRIs to be consistently effective in reducing OCD symptoms. while the tricyclic antidepressants drug clomipramine proved slightly more effective, but it had more serious side effects. this suggests that SSRIs should only be given as a first attempt drug treatment and clomipramine should only be used when SSRIs have not proven effective
• Ciccerone et al

  investigated the effect of low doses of the antipsychootic drug risperidone in treating OCD, finding treatment effective due to the drugs dopamine lowering effect
• Julien


  reported that studies of SSRIs show that although symptoms do not fully disappear between 50 and 80 % of OCD patients improve, allowing them to live a fairly normal lifestyle, which they wouldn't be able to do without the treatment
• Soomro et al


  reviewed 17 studies of SSRIs vs placebo treatments involving 3097 patients and found SSRIs to be moderately effective in the short term in treating OCD of varying duration in adults, lending a degree of support to the treatment
• evaluation of drugs

  -> generally they dont cure OCD, but reduce obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour to such a level that a more normal lifestyle can be achieved

  -> a limitation of drug therapy is the side effects that patients may experience.

  -> antidepressant medication may be more suitable for adults, as they are more able to tolerate and understand side effects

  -> its not clear if drug treatments effective in treating OCD reduce obsessive symptoms, or instead lessen depressive symptoms that accompany the condition

  -> cheap

  -> risk of suicidal thoughts