Medications for Compulsive Obsessive Anxiety

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that "obsessive-compulsive disorder [or compulsive obsessive anxiety] is an anxiety disorder in which people have thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions) or behaviors that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions)." Patients with compulsive obsessive anxiety can have both obsessions and compulsions, and symptoms begin by age 30. While the NIH recommends psychotherapy for the treatment of compulsive obsessive anxiety, medication is another option to help control symptoms.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

When it comes to medication, the NIH states that the first choice is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are a group of antidepressants that prevents the brain from reuptaking serotonin. Then the brain uses that extra serotonin, which improves the patient's mood. For compulsive obsessive anxiety, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors relieve the patient's anxiety and reduce her obsessions and/or compulsions. The NIH recommends the drugs Celexa, Luvox, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) also list Lexapro and Luvox CR as other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors that can be used to treat compulsive obsessive anxiety.

Anafranil

Should the compulsive obsessive anxiety patient not respond to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the second option recommended by the NIH is the drug Anafranil, or clomipramine. Anafranil, according to the ADAA, is a tricyclic antidepressant that increases the amount of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain by preventing reuptake of all three neurotransmitters. The NIH notes that Anafranil is an older compulsive obsessive anxiety treatment and has multiple side effects, such as sleepiness, dry mouth, a drop in blood pressure when standing up and problems starting urination.

Other Antidepressants

The ADAA lists other medications that can treat compulsive obsessive anxiety that are not selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants. Both Cymbalta and Effexor are SSNRIs: selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Besides preventing the reuptake of serotonin, these medications also increase the amount of norepinephrine through hindering norepinephrine reuptake. Another medication, Remeron, is a tetracyclic antidepressant that alters norepinephrine and serotonin. Desyrel, another antidepressant medication that can be used, does not resemble any other type of antidepressant medication.