In an article titled, "L-carnosine as an adjuvant to fluvoxamine in treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder: A randomized double-blind study," investigators tried to find out if any natural supplements added to an antidepressant medication could be of additional benefit in reducing the symptoms of OCD. Forty-four patients diagnosed with moderate to severe OCD were treated with fluvoxamine either alone or with the addition of L-carnosine for a period of 10 weeks. The brand name of fluvoxamine is Luvox. It is considered a SSRI medication similar to Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft and mostly acts on the serotonin system in the brain.
The results were good. The addition of L-carnosine led to a significant reduction of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. I always find it interesting and encouraging how supplements can be used either as a replacement or in addition to medications to help doctors find solutions to the many physical and mental conditions that people suffer from. As to the dosage recommendations, I tend to think that for treatment purposes the dosage should be limited to 500 mg or less a day, especially when combined with Luvox or other anti-depressants. It may even be a good idea to reduce the dosage of the SSRI when adding carnosine supplementation. Some researchers also claim that carnosine has anti-aging potential but this has yet to be tested in humans. To those who wish to take carnosine for its potential anti-aging benefits, I suggest opening a 500 mg capsule and only using a small portion each morning. The whole 500 mg capsule could last a week.