Objective: To en:amine the efficacy and tolerability of clomipramine compar
ed with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the treatmen
t of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bearing in mind the recent Expert
Consensus Guidelines recommendation to use clomipramine after 2 to 3 faile
d SSRI trials.
Method: The literature on the pharmacotherapy of OCD was critically examine
d.
Results: The available research evidence is not conclusive but suggests tha
t clomipramine possesses greater antiobsessional efficacy than do the SSRIs
. In addition, when clomipramine is presented to patients in a positive way
, and properly used in small initial doses with gradual increases, it seems
to be tolerated as well as the SSRIs.
Conclusion: Recently expressed opinions that clomipramine should be used to
treat OCD after 2 to 3 failed SSRI trials are not supported by research ev
idence. Both clomipramine and the SSRIs may be used as first-line treatment
s for OCD.