[fatmad]

Hello friends; first an intro.
I have been hanging out on the diabetes forum mostly for a long time. I am no longer prediabetic, having been quite successful in the last 18 months, after years of struggle to find the "right" way for me to lose weight. But I'm comfy there, so continue.

I have also struggled, to various degrees with depression.
Its been hard to accept that I simply can't go off antidepressants. When I do I lose the ability to cope with day to day life. But I have had side effects from SSRIs (zoloft and effexor, specifically) with urinary retention, to the point of having a UTI that took 3 rounds of antibiotics to clear. And I have allergies to many antibiotics.
SO I am now on Wellbutrin. Its not an SSRI, but seems to be working. However I can't take it with trazodone, which I was taking at times to help with insomnia.
I am wondering if its the best medication for me as well. No major issues though.

We recently got a new supplementary insurer and they cover medication genomics for people diagnosed with depression.
Mine is not a new diagnosis and I can't say my med isn't working. Its certainly working better than no meds, and together with therapy, got me through a pretty major episode that started over 18 months ago and persisted into the winter of this year.

Has anyone here had access to and used genomics to find the "right" antidepressant for them?
Apparently its like a DNA test that determines which of a variety of antidepressants is most likely to work for an individual, and even helps calibrate the right dosage!
I am not sure if I would be eligible, given that I am not currently in distress, but wondering if its worth it?
Interested in your views

thanks

[flower123]

Hi Fatmad. Sounds interesting. But I have no experience with it. This depression area of 3fc is not well travelled. So please don't feel bad if you do not get replies. I hope you are eligible to try the genomics. And I hope it helps.

[fatmad]

I will have a discussion with our new benefits provider. It may only be that newly diagnosed people will get it, and that they will say if it working to any degree not to have it done. I most want it for my daughter, who is on several meds. She is not on my plan though, and has a crummy health plan.

[Pipsicle]

Hi Mad- This is really interesting. I do not have anything to share to directly answer your questions. I wanted to mention some related thoughts since I think this field will continue to grow. Currently for some cancer treatments, there are companion genetic test to gauge if the individual will respond to the particular treatment option being considered. In my own experience to help my daughter with a condition she has, I have been researching how different foods or natural supplements can increase or decrease the expression of genes (epigenetics).

[fatmad]

It IS an interesting field. For cancer, it makes a lot of sense. The testing and treatments are expensive, to tailoring medications to the person would be helpful in so many ways.
There may be a fine line between helping people and denying them assistance or insurance coverage based on genetics. Lots to learn

[CJZee]

Hi fatmad,
While I have no firsthand knowledge or experience of genomics, I have to say it makes sense. I found an article which has a ton of very recent reference material on this very subject, so it must be a hot topic in the medical community. Here is the link: https://www.cell.com/neuron/pdf/S089...19)30285-5.pdf

If you trust your doctor not to write everything you say in the computer, I would discuss best methods to deal with the insurance issue.

Let us know how you come out on your quest.

[fatmad]

I will likely be seeing her in the near future after my blood work is done. thanks CJZee