Are there other medications that can be used to treat OCD?

Yes, there are drugs that are occasionally helpful in individual patients besides the ones already mentioned. For example, some patients may be helped by drugs called monoamine oxidise inhibitors (e.g., Nardil [phenelzine] and Parnate [tranylcypromine]) that work in a different way than the previously mentioned drugs.

These drugs inhibit one of the enzymes that degrades the chemical messengers in the nerve gaps, thereby lengthening the time that the messenger can be active. There is some anecdotal evidence that OCD patients who also have panic attacks or prominent concerns with symmetry may be more likely to improve with monoamine oxidise inhibitors. With these drugs, certain foods and medications cannot be taken or potentially fatal reactions can occur. They are particularly dangerous in combination with the SRI medications, so these must be stopped for at least two weeks (five weeks for Prozac, which is longer lasting) prior to starting monoamine oxidise inhibitors.

The other antidepressants occasionally help, but chances of this are quite small.

The information is sourced from an article written by : Michael A. Jenike, M.D.Chairman.

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