Long-term fluoxetine treatment of a large number of obsessive-compulsive patients.

A group of 75 outpatients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder began treatment with the bicyclic antidepressant fluoxetine in an open clinical setting. Their progress was evaluated using the Hamilton Depression Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and a global scale of severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The group showed significant improvement on all measures. This improvement continued and was progressive over a 5-month period. Weight loss was present but not significant by the end of the 5-month period.