Time to Reconsider Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?: A Case Series Using Phenelzine

Purpose/Background Despite the availability of a range of efficacious evidence-based treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), not all patients experience sufficient benefit or are able to tolerate them in practice. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) show efficacy in the treatment of depression and certain anxiety disorders (such as social anxiety disorder). Methods/Procedures We survey the evidence base from case reports, and clinical trials, regarding use of MAOIs in OCD. We then present new data from a case series collected in routine clinical practice in a specialist clinical service. Findings/Results In 9 treatment-resistant patients whose OCD had not improved with at least 2 standard treatment trials, 3 had marked clinical improvement (>35% improvement on YBOCS) on phenelzine, 3 had some improvement (15–34.9%), and 3 showed minimal or no improvement (
Source: Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Brief Reports Source Type: research