Has Anyone Had The Saliva DNA Test To See Which Medications, Such As Antidepressants, Might Be Most Effective For You? | MyFibroTeam

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Has Anyone Had The Saliva DNA Test To See Which Medications, Such As Antidepressants, Might Be Most Effective For You?
A MyFibroTeam Member asked a question 💭

I've been prescribed antidepressants for my fibro but it doesn't do much for me. What if I had the dna test that would specify which antidepressants would be most helpful? I know insurance doesn't necessarily cover it and I've heard it's about 300.00 out of pocket. It would be totally worth it to me if it pointed me in the direction of the most effective medication for the pain of fibro! Does that make sense to anyone or has anyone tried that?

posted September 29, 2018
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A MyFibroTeam Member

I actually just had the test and got my results back yesterday! The test I had looked at two main areas of genes. First, it looked at genes that are known to directly impact how well drugs work for some people. For me, the results showed that I have a gene that makes me a lot less likely to respond to opioids (which confirms my own experience- the few times I've been prescribed them, they do nothing but give me nasty side effects). Second, it looks at genes that control the production of the liver enzymes that break down drugs. I learned that I have a gene that makes me deficient in a certain enzyme, and that enzyme happens to be the primary one that breaks down sertraline (Zoloft)- which might explain why I had unpleasant side effects with that drug!
My psychiatrist was careful to explain to me that the test results don't guarantee that any particular drug will work for you, because there are factors besides these genes that influence how any individual drug will work for any individual person. But it does at least flag down some drugs that are more likely to be problematic, and help narrow down what to try. Based on my results, today I started a brand new prescription for fluoxetine (Prozac). It'll be a few weeks before I know whether it's successful or not. Cymbalta was also on my list of drugs to try, but my insurance won't cover it until I've tried at least 3 other drugs first.

posted September 29, 2018
A MyFibroTeam Member

@A MyFibroTeam Member I'm glad that medical marijuana works for you. Adding Vitamin D & magnesium helps me sleep thru the night. Magnesium is a sleep booster. ☺️☺️☺️

posted September 29, 2018
A MyFibroTeam Member

I had never heard of this

posted September 29, 2018
A MyFibroTeam Member

Savella is supposed to be the best choice. Unfortunately, it’s 400.00 and not covered with medical insurance. No generic available. I currently take Cymbalta 90 mg. For my exhaustion and fatigue I find a small dose as needed of Adderall like 5 mgs helps me get through when I’m having to face a challenge

posted April 20, 2020
A MyFibroTeam Member

Yes I had it about 2 years ago. Insurance would not cover it so I could get a reduced price of $250. Don’t waste your money. Results came back with two possible meds. One I had tried in the past and it didn’t work. The other was Opana ER which made me worse and it was taken off the shelves soon after because it had potential for abuse if used incorrectly. I know Opana is available. The side effects were horrible. I was so moody, depressed, moods changed so quickly it was like I had multiple personalities. Did not help with pain either.

posted October 1, 2018

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