Improving Current Treatments

If you have OCD you may know that there are a variety of treatments available, however, you may also know that not all people respond to these treatments. Augmentation therapy is strategy that is being explored as a way to improve the odds of relieving OCD symptoms when treating OCD with medication. Augmentation therapy involves using combinations of drugs, rather than a single drug, for maximum effect. For example, a recent study in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology has suggested that the combination of a drug called memantine (usually used to treat Alzheimer's disease) and a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) may be much more effective in reducing OCD symptoms than taking an SRI on its own. Augmentation strategies could be especially effective for people who do not respond to standard treatment.