Carbamazepine Augmentation of Clomipramine in the Treatment of Refractory Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Letter to the Editor

Sir: The serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are now considered first-choice agents for the pharmacologic treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, many patients with OCD are nonresponders or partial responders to these agents. Although the augmentation therapy of these agents with neuroleptics, lithium, benzodiazepines, or buspirone is recommended to treat refractory OCD, the efficacy of the augmentation strategy is still limited. The case presented here illustrates effective augmentation of clomipramine, an SRI, with carbamazepine in the treatment of a patient with OCD refractory to the previously recommended treatment strategies.