Fluvoxamine in the Treatment of Compulsive Buying

Background: The authors report the results of an open trial of fluvoxamine in the treatment of compulsive buying.

Method: Ten nondepressed subjects were recruited through word-of-mouth and met restrictive inclusion/exclusion criteria. Subjects were assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale modified for compulsive buying, the Clinical Global Impression scale, and other measures. After a single-blind 1-week placebo run-in, subjects received fluvoxamine up to 300 mg daily for 9 weeks.

Results: Nine of 10 subjects improved and were less preoccupied with shopping, spent less time shopping, and reported spending less money.

Conclusion: We conclude that compulsive buyers can be recruited for research and their symptoms measured and monitored and, finally, that fluvoxamine may be effective in its treatment.