OCD & D-cycloserine: A Promising Medication for OCD Treatment

Posted by Steven J. Seay, Ph.D. | 7 comments

As someone who has long been enamored with basic science, I find it fascinating when classic medications are re-purposed in surprising ways.  One of the newest examples of this is the use of D-cycloserine (also known as Seromycin) in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). What’s interesting about D-cycloserine is not so much what it is…but what it isn’t: D-cycloserine is neither an SRRI nor any other type of antidepressant (e.g., Prozac). It’s not an anti-anxiety medication (e.g., Xanax, Klonopin). It’s not even an atypical antipsychotic (e.g., Abilify, Risperdal). If it’s not one of the above, then what is it? The answer might surprise you.  Seromycin is actually an antibiotic that was originally developed to help fight off tuberculosis.  What’s exciting about using an antibiotic to treat OCD is that it’s not subject to the same side effects as other medications (i.e., the SSRIs,...