Treatments Of OCD

Question 1

What if drug therapy and what does it do?

Answer 1

Drug therapy is treatment that aims to increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the brain in order to increase or decrease the neurotransmitter activity.
As OCD is thought to be caused by low levels of serotonin, drug treatment for OCD involves increasing the level of serotonin in the brain.

Question 2

What is Selective serotonin re uptake inhibitor (SSRI) and what does it do?

Answer 2

The standard treatment for OCD involves a type of antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). They work on the serotonin system in the brain b preventing the re-absorption and break down of serotonin by the pre-synaptic neuron. This means that the levels of serotonin in the synapse increase and can continue to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron.

Question 3

Dosage of SSRI

Answer 3

Dosage and other advice vary according to which SSRI is prescribed. A typical daily dose of Fluoxetine is 20 mg and it can be given as a capsule or liquid. It takes three or four months of daily use for SSRIs to have much of an impact on symptoms.
When an SSRI is not effective after three to four months the dose can be increased, or it c be combined with other drugs. Sometimes different antidepressants are tried. Patients respond very differently to different drugs and alternatives work well for some people ar not at all for others.

Question 4

Tricyclics

Answer 4

Tricyclics (an older type of antidepressant) are sometimes used, such as Clomipramine.
These have the same effect on the serotonin system as SSRIs, but they have more severe side-effects, so it is a “reserve” for patients who do not respond to SSRIs.

Question 5

Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors(SNRIs)

Answer 5

Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are also another option for those who do not respond to SSRIs. They increase the levels of serotonin as well as noradrenaline