Which drugs help OCD & how do we know these drugs are effective?

"There are six drugs that have been shown to be useful in very good double-blind (both physician and patient unaware of whether patient is receiving drug or placebo [inert sugar pill]) placebo-controlled (about half of the patients receive drug and the other half placebo or inactive pill) studies. This is a very good way to evaluate drugs since improvements can be evaluated in an unbiased manner and drug effectiveness can be accurately determined.

The six drugs that have been shown to be effective in such studies include: fluvoxamine(Faverin), fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Lustral), paroxetine (Seroxat), citalopram(Cipramil*), and clomipramine (Anafranil). Anafranil has been around the longest and is the best studied throughout the world, but there is growing evidence that the other drugs are as effective. In addition to these carefully studied drugs, there are hundreds of case reports of other drugs occasionally being helpful."

*see information regarding Cipramil in further links

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

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