THE USE OF FLUOXETINE IN GILLES-DE-LA-TOURETTE SYNDROME AND OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE BEHAVIORS - PRELIMINARY CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE

1. Obsessive Compulsive Behaviours (OCB) occur in more than 50% of pat ients with the Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (GTS) and in some cases these behaviours are more disabling than the ties themselves. 2. Fluox etine, a specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) has been demonst rated to be effective in patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. 3. The authors report on their clinical experience of fluoxetine in 30 GTS patients with OCB, in an open retrospective study. 4. There was a n overall improvement in OCB as judged by the clinician in 76% of case s. Most patients received fluoxetine at a daily dose of 20 to 40mg for an average period of 6 months (24 +/- 4 weeks). In general, fluoxetin e was well tolerated and further studies are indicated.