CONCLUSIONS The effects of treatment with clomipramine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs : fluvoxamine , sertraline , fluoxetine , citalopram , and escitalopram ) proved to be similar , except for the lower adherence rate in case of clomipramine because of its side effects .
PURPOSE This systematic review examines the efficacy of pharmacological therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder ( OCD ) , addressing two major issues : which treatment is most effective in treating the patient 's symptoms and which is beneficial for maintaining remission .
Augmentation strategy with olanzapine in resistant obsessive compulsive disorder: an Italian long-term open-label study
The present study reports the results of an open-label trial on the use of the combination of olanzapine ( an atypical antipsychotic ) serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SRIs ) in 26 resistant out patients affected by resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder ( OCD ) . All patients had been suffering from OCD , according to DSM IV criteria , for at least 2 years and had different comorbid disorders ; they had been treated with an  SRI  at adequate dosages for at least 6 months , or had tried different augmentation strategies with no or poor response . As a result , olanzapine was added and continued for 1 year . After 12 weeks of this regimen , most of the patients ( 17 ) had shown a reduction in OC symptoms , as assessed by a decrease in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale total score , which continued throughout subsequent months . Only mild side-effects were recorded and no patient halted the treatment . The addition of olanzapine would appear to be a useful short- and long-term strategy for augmenting SRI effectiveness in resistant OCD patients , especially in those presenting comorbidity with bipolar disorders
CONCLUSIONS The effects of treatment with clomipramine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs : fluvoxamine , sertraline , fluoxetine , citalopram , and escitalopram ) proved to be similar , except for the lower adherence rate in case of clomipramine because of its side effects .
PURPOSE This systematic review examines the efficacy of pharmacological therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder ( OCD ) , addressing two major issues : which treatment is most effective in treating the patient 's symptoms and which is beneficial for maintaining remission .