This is why the American Psychiatric Association recommends fluoxetine, along with other SSRIs, as one of the first-choice medications that can be used to treat OCD. People taking fluoxetine may experience side effects such as: Trouble sleeping or feeling more tired than usual.
Antidepressants approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat OCD include: Clomipramine (Anafranil) for adults and children 10 years and older. Fluoxetine (Prozac) for adults and children 7 years and older. Fluvoxamine for adults and children 8 years and older.
However, SSRIs like paroxetine and fluoxetine are often recommended first because they are considered safe and effective with a low risk for serious side effects.
SSRIs are first-line pharmacologic treatment options and produce response rates of up to 60% in patients with OCD. Several potential strategies have been evaluated for enhancing patient response, including high-dose SSRI therapy, antipsychotic augmentation, and memantine augmentation.
The types of medication that research has shown to be most effective for OCD are a type of drug called a Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SRI), which are traditionally used as an antidepressants, but also help to address OCD symptoms.
For OCD, about 40-60% of people experience partial symptom reduction on an SSRI. They can be used as a standalone treatment, a complement to behavioral therapies (like exposure and response prevention), or along with adjunctive medications like an atypical antipsychotic.
Is Lexapro or Zoloft better for OCD? Some healthcare professionals will prescribe Lexapro “off-label” to treat OCD in adult patients, but only Zoloft is FDA-approved to treat adult and pediatric patients with the condition.
FDA-Approved SSRIs for OCD
If you do not respond to SSRIs, your doctor may prescribe Anafranil (clomipramine). Anafranil is a tricyclic antidepressant that is FDA-approved to treat OCD. Anafranil may cause side effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision, sedation, and rapid heartbeat. It can also lead to weight gain.
Can medication make OCD worse? The answer is yes if the medication triggers doubt within you, and you choose to perform many reassuring compulsive behaviors.
The gold standard treatment for OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) is a kind of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) called “exposure with response prevention,” or exposure therapy.
An SSRI can help improve OCD symptoms by increasing the levels of a chemical called serotonin in your brain. You may need to take an SSRI for up to 12 weeks before you notice any benefit. Most people need treatment for at least a year.
Lexapro also may appear to be more effective in treating anxiety—because there are not enough studies measuring how effective Prozac is in treating anxiety. Both Lexapro and Prozac have been found to be effective in treating social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The ones doctors most commonly prescribe for people with OCD are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Both SSRIs and SNRIs affect a person's neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that carry signals between neurons.
First, it is important to remember that these medications don't work right away. Most patients notice some benefit after 3-4 weeks, while maximum benefit should occur between 12 weeks and 6 months of treatment at an adequate dose of medication.
You may start to feel better within 1 to 3 weeks after you start to take antidepressant medicine. But it can take as many as 12 weeks to see more improvement. If you have questions or concerns about your medicines, or if you do not notice any improvement by 3 weeks, talk to your doctor.
Obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, is an anxiety disorder which, like many anxiety disorders, is marked by low levels of serotonin.
If the patient's response to the treatment is inadequate, trial data suggest that higher SSRI dosages produce a somewhat higher response rate and greater relief of symptoms. Higher dosages may be appropriate for those who tolerate the medication well and have had little response to the treatment.
Although there are many FDA-approved medications available for the treatment of OCD, medications don't seem to be effective for one-third of people's OCD symptoms. This can happen because of genetics, body chemistry, other medications you're on, skipping doses, as well as whether or not you use alcohol and/or drugs.
Lexapro may also be used to treat patients who have excessive anxiety and worry. Lexapro may also be used to treat irrational fears or obsessional behaviour (obsessive-compulsive disorder).
Escitalopram is known to be well tolerated and to have few interactions with other drugs, and these benefits provide a boon for our OCD patients.
Zoloft is one of the most popular drugs for obsessive-compulsive disorder. By limiting the reuptake of serotonin into neurons, it improves mood, fears, anxiety, obsessions, and compulsions. This alleviates symptoms of OCD and mood and anxiety disorders.
The drug blocks the NMDA receptor, which receives glutamate signals. In a small pilot study, patients with OCD received a low dose of ketamine or saline via infusion. Those who received the ketamine reported a rapid decrease in OCD symptoms compared to those who received saline.
What causes OCD? Experts aren't sure of the exact cause of OCD. Genetics, brain abnormalities, and the environment are thought to play a role. It often starts in the teens or early adulthood.
Is Zoloft or Prozac better for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)? Prozac and Zoloft are both effective in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adults. However, Zoloft may be prescribed to children 6 years of age and older for OCD. Prozac is used in children 8 years of age and older to treat depression.
Some common side effects of escitalopram (Lexapro) include nausea, trouble sleeping, and drowsiness.