What Is Clomipramine Used For?
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suffer intensely from recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) or rituals (compulsions) that they feel they cannot control. Rituals such as hand washing, counting, checking something, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these rituals, however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them greatly increases
anxiety. The exact cause or
causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder are not fully known at this time.
Clomipramine is approved for OCD treatment in children, teens, and adults. Although
antidepressants, such as clomipramine, are effective for treating the
symptoms of OCD, behavior therapy for OCD is often used along with medications. Ask your healthcare provider about behavior therapy for OCD.
How Clomipramine Works for OCD
Clomipramine belongs to a class of medications called
tricyclic antidepressants. It is not entirely clear how clomipramine works. However, it is known that clomipramine does affect several chemicals in the brain, including serotonin and norepinephrine. It is thought that perhaps clomipramine allows these chemicals to stay in the brain longer, which can help with symptoms of OCD.
Even though clomipramine is classified as a
tricyclic antidepressant (due the chemical structure of the molecule), it actually acts much like a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (
SSRI). SSRIs are a newer group of antidepressant medications, and many people consider clomipramine to be an SSRI, even though it is technically a tricyclic antidepressant.
