GeneSight Psychotropic Testing
“The GeneSight Psychotropic test analyzes how your genes may affect your outcomes with medications commonly prescribed to treat depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health conditions. The GeneSight Psychotropic test provides your clinician with information about which medications may require dose adjustments, may be less likely to work for you or may have an increased risk of side effects based on your genetic makeup.*”
If you are interested in taking medications to help manage mental health symptoms, have tried medications in the past without positive results, or with negative side effects, doing a GeneSight test may guide you and your provider to the best dosages and medications based on your genes. I have had multiple clients benefit from doing a GeneSight Test.
I share multiple clients with Jordan Madden, DNP, APN, PMHNP-BC, Owner of Calming Currents Psychiatry in Hudson, WI, when I asked him about GeneSight testing, he offered the following:
“Genesight and other pharmacogenetic tests can be helpful for individuals who have tried a number of psychotropic medications and experienced either significant/abnormal side effects or had a limited response to the medications despite being on a therapeutic dose for an adequate amount of time, as determined by your mental health prescriber. These sorts of tests can help inform prescribers about how your body processes medications to determine whether you might need higher, standard, or lower doses to achieve a clinical response and/or your level of risk for developing side effects for a certain medication. These tests don't necessarily say "this is the medication that's going to work", but rather help to provide additional information to incorporate into our clinical decision making when selecting a medication that makes sense for you.”
Lauren Nievinski, PA-C does Adult Psychiatric Medication Management at Vantage Mental Health based out of Stillwater, MN. When I asked her about GeneSight testing, she shared:
“GeneSight pharmacogenomic testing presents variable clinical utility in antidepressant selection and dosing determination. The test carries significant financial implications at approximately $300-$400 per analysis, creating a cost-benefit consideration for initial therapy selection. Clinical experience demonstrates inconsistent correlation between GeneSight recommendations and actual patient response. Cases have been observed where medications flagged as potentially problematic on GeneSight panels have produced adequate therapeutic response without adverse effects. Conversely, medications designated as genetically compatible have occasionally resulted in significant adverse effect profiles despite favorable pharmacogenomic predictions. This inconsistency limits the test's value as a first-line decision-making tool in psychopharmacology. GeneSight testing may offer enhanced utility in treatment-resistant cases where multiple medication trials have failed, potentially identifying genetic variants affecting medication metabolism or indicating situations where targeted supplementation might augment pharmacotherapy. The test's greatest utility appears to be in complex cases rather than in medication-naïve individuals initiating standard first-line agents.”
A GeneSight test must be ordered by your medical provider. It involves doing a cheek swab and mailing it away to be processed in the GeneSight lab. GeneSight then provides a multiple page report of 60+ mental health medication interactions based on your DNA. Jordan Madden and Lauren Nievinski are both wonderful providers that I recommend and that are taking new clients! You can also ask your current provider about ordering a GeneSight Test or find a provider here. A GeneSight Test may be covered by your insurance. Last I heard, the out-of-pocket cost was about $330.
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