Topamax May Improve the Effectiveness of SSRIs for Some OCD Symptoms

Research suggests that up to 60% of people with OCD do not respond to, or are unable to tolerate treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).  A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry examined whether adding the anticonvulsant drug Topamax to ongoing treatment with an SSRI would be more effective in reducing OCD symptoms than treatment with an SSRI alone.  Using a double-blind, placebo controlled design the investigators found that adding Topamax to the standard SSRI treatment regimen improved treatment for compulsions but not obsessions.