Metabolic and toxicological considerations for obsessive-compulsive disorder drug therapy

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects the daily life of the patients. Chronic nature of this disease and the need for long-term high-dose drug therapy for its maintenance increase the risk of metabolic and toxicological complications.

In this concise article, the metabolic and toxicological aspects of major medication categories prescribed in OCD, such as serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressant (clomipramine), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and atypical antipsychotics indicated in OCD (both Food and Drug Administration-approved and off-label) are discussed.

The most critical point in pharmacotherapy of OCD is the need for the high-dose and long-term use of drugs. In OCD, generally the higher doses of applicable drugs than those used in depression are required, often exceeding the recommended maximum dose. Moreover, such high doses should be given for at least 10 - 12 weeks to ensure the adequate treatment duration for the clinical effects to emerge. This long-term high-dose maintenance therapy increases the risk of drug toxicity and adverse effects. Physicians should take extra care in periodical assessment of signs and symptoms of metabolic and toxicological complications in patients. Subjective symptoms reported by patients should be carefully assessed and not attributed to obsessive nature of the patients.