{"id":2679,"date":"2018-05-13T16:21:22","date_gmt":"2018-05-13T15:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ocduk.net\/?page_id=2679"},"modified":"2025-09-26T13:23:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T12:23:14","slug":"medication","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ocduk.org\/overcoming-ocd\/medication\/","title":{"rendered":"Medication for OCD"},"content":{"rendered":"

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There are a number of treatments options for children and adults with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that evidence shows can be helpful, including psychological therapies and medication.<\/p>\n

The primary treatment approach for most people will be to start with psychological treatment in the form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).\u00a0 However, for some people where therapy as not proved successful initially, the NICE guidelines recommend additional therapy (CBT with ERP), or a choice of medication in the form of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although medication is not recommended as an initial treatment method for most people with OCD, in the past many people were offered medication whilst on long waiting lists for psychological therapy.\u00a0 If this happens, it should be your choice whether to try medication or not.<\/p>\n

Your healthcare professional should discuss all your treatment options with you so you can decide if you want to have a particular treatment or not, and which treatment you might prefer. Your own preference is important and after a full discussion your healthcare professional should support your choice where possible.<\/p>\n

Whilst some people may be anxious about taking medication, the medication could be helpful in dealing with the OCD and\/or with the reduction of anxiety and improvement on low feelings enough to make it easier to start, and eventually succeed, in therapy.<\/p>\n

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The types of Medications<\/h5>\n

The medication used for treating OCD usually take the form of antidepressants which act in the serotonin system, and are called Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor<\/mark>, or SSRIs<\/mark> for short.<\/p>\n

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SOME USERS HAVE DESCRIBED IT TO US THAT THE ANXIETY EXPERIENCED BY OCD CAN FEEL LIKE A SHARP SPIKE, BUT AFTER TAKING MEDICATION, THAT SHARP SPIKE BECOMES MORE OF A ROUNDED SPIKE.<\/p><\/div>\n

We do not know exactly why SSRIs are helpful for some people with OCD, it\u2019s thought they might have an effect by\u00a0altering the balance of chemicals in your brain, but what we do know is that they sometimes reduce the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, by taking the \u2018edge\u2019 off some of the anxiety experienced.\u00a0 Some users have described it to us that the anxiety experienced by OCD can feel like a sharp spike, but after taking medication, that sharp spike becomes more of a rounded spike.<\/p>\n

Medication types used to treat OCD:<\/h5>\n

Drugs often have several names. When a drug is first discovered it\u2019s given an approved\u00a0generic<\/strong>\u00a0name but since medicines are often made by different companies, they also have one or more\u00a0brand<\/strong>\u00a0(trading) names, making it very confusing.\u00a0 The brand name is often chosen to be memorable for advertising, or to be easier to say or spell than the generic name which can often be cumbersome. For example, the generic name for Prozac is Fluoxetine.\u00a0\u00a0Whilst the\u00a0brand name is usually written most clearly on any packaging, you will always see the generic name written somewhere on the packet or leaflet, although often in small print.<\/p>\n

Here in the UK there are strict quality controls before a product licence is granted for brand versions of medicines. This means that in theory a generic or brand name version of the same medicine will have the same action and be of the same quality. Although some users have told us that they have noticed a difference, for example in 2015 when Anafranil was discontinued, a handful of users struggled taking the generic version, Clomipramine.<\/p>\n

So with each drug recommended for the treatment of OCD we will list both the generic and brand name, if you are confused over medication names, please do discuss with your prescribing doctor.<\/p>\n

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Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI)<\/strong>
\nSSRI medications are usually tried first (before non-selective SRIs) because SSRIs only act on serotonin. The SSRIs usually recommended for the treatment of OCD in the UK are:<\/p>\n

Generic Name \/ (Brand Names)<\/strong><\/p>\n