Two people diagnosed with the same mental health disorder and sharing similar symptoms will respond differently to the same medication. One will improve, the other won’t, a problem you can prevent with genetic testing provided by Sunshine Psychiatry in Fort Myers, Florida. The effectiveness of your psychiatric medication depends on differences in your unique DNA; differences that are revealed when you get genetic testing. You can take advantage of genetic testing through an in-office visit or telepsychiatry. Call the office or request an in-person or virtual visit today to learn more.
You may be familiar with genetic testing to determine your risk of developing cancer or an inherited health condition. But Sunshine Psychiatry uses another type of genetic testing called pharmacogenomics.
This type of genetic testing identifies changes (variations) in your DNA that affect how you respond to psychiatric medications.
Your genetic testing shows:
This information allows your provider to prescribe the medication and dose that will be most effective for your unique metabolism.
Genetic testing makes it possible to receive personalized treatment and gain the following two health benefits:
All medications can cause unwanted and sometimes serious side effects. Genetic testing reveals the specific psychiatric medications likely to cause problems for you. This allows your Sunshine Psychiatry provider to avoid medicines they may have recommended that would result in side effects.
When patients need medication management, their provider prescribes the medicine and dose that best fits their symptoms and mental health needs. This medication may produce great results for many patients but may not help you because of genetic variations.
There are many possible medicines for each mental health disorder. If the first one doesn’t improve your symptoms, your provider tries another one that works differently. The second (or third) medication may ultimately work, but meanwhile, you keep struggling with symptoms.
With genetic testing, the first medicine you take is the one with the best chance of working. And that means you feel better faster.
Genetic testing is done with a tissue sample taken from inside your mouth. If you’re in the office, your provider does a quick cheek swab. They mail a testing kit to people using telepsychiatry. The kit contains everything you need to take a swab and mail it to the genetics lab.
After the lab finishes testing your DNA and your provider gets the report, they schedule an appointment with you to discuss the results and prescribe medication.
To learn more about genetic testing or schedule a cheek swab, call Sunshine Psychiatry today or use online booking to request an in-person or telepsychiatry appointment.