FLUVOXAMINE IN THE TREATMENT OF COMPULSIVE BUYING

Background: The authors report the results of an open trial of fluvoxa mine in the treatment of compulsive buying. Method: Ten nondepressed s ubjects were recruited through word-of-mouth and met restrictive inclu sion/exclusion criteria. Subjects were assessed with the Yale-Brown Ob sessive-Compulsive Scale modified for compulsive buying, the Clinical Global Impression scale, and other measures. After a single-blind 1-we ek placebo run-in, subjects received fluvoxamine up to 300 mg daily fo r 9 weeks. Results: Nine of 10 subjects improved and were less preoccu pied with shopping, spent less time shopping, and reported spending le ss money. Conclusion: We conclude that compulsive buyers can be recrui ted for research and their symptoms measured and monitored and, finall y, that fluvoxamine may be effective in its treatment.