I don’t think I would have taken another medication if it wasn’t for GeneSight

I was first diagnosed with anxiety at 21. My doctor at the time prescribed a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI). It didn’t really help – I still had all-consuming anxiety. When I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, I quit the SSRI “cold turkey” and experienced bad withdrawal symptoms as a result.

That started my distaste for medication.

After my daughter was born and my anxiety started to increase, I started to use alcohol to self-medicate. I am a server in a restaurant, so I didn’t have health insurance at the time.

About two years ago, I realized drinking and self-medicating wasn’t good for me. I wanted to get healthy. I quit drinking, started mindful meditation, exercised and ate healthy. It helped a bit with my anxiety, but I still had panic attacks. I knew I needed professional help.

A Horrible Reaction

I went to a general nurse practitioner in the summer of 2020. She prescribed two medications and told me that I needed to take both. She prescribed an anti-anxiety medication and a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). I took the first dose of each and within 2 or 3 hours of taking the medications, I had horrible side effects. I called the nurse practitioner, who told me there was no way I could have reacted that quickly and that it was “all in my head.” She told me that I needed to keep taking the medications, that they needed time to work in my system, so I took the second dose.

After a few hours, I knew something was wrong. I called my mom and told her she had to come over right away because I couldn’t take care of my daughter. My anxiety shot through the roof. I couldn’t focus. I had suicidal thoughts. It was the lowest point of my life. I stopped taking both medications and was bedridden for a week as I recovered.

I started to feel better as the medication left my body, but I still was left with anxiety – made worse by my experience. I was having catastrophic thoughts. This was at the start of the pandemic, and I was terrified that I was going to contract the coronavirus and die. With thoughts like this, I knew that I likely needed medication to help me get through this part of my life.

The GeneSight Test Offers Clarity, and an Explanation

I went back to the same practice but this time I saw different provider. The doctor suggested that I take the GeneSight test. I was intrigued but skeptical, so I told them I needed to research it and think about it before I took it. After research and talking to family members, I decided to take the test at the general practitioner’s office. It was easy – a couple of simple cheek swabs.

By this point, I had found a psychiatrist, so I asked the doctor’s office to send the results of the GeneSight test to my psychiatrist. Knowing my horrible reactions to medications in the past, my psychiatrist set up a longer appointment to review the test results. From my perspective, the GeneSight test validated my experience with previous medications – it wasn’t “all in my head.” I had significant gene-drug interactions with all of the medications I had taken.

What was interesting is that I only had two medications in the “use as directed” category. Both were antidepressants – and both came with warnings about possible side effects: “may cause anxiety.” Accordingly, the psychiatrist recommended that we try a medication in the moderate gene-drug interaction category.

The label suggested I start with a 10 mg dosage, so that’s what my psychiatrist prescribed. Medication seems to work fast in my body, so in a few days I started to notice a change – my pulse was racing, too much energy, etc. My psychiatrist decided to reduce the dose by half (or 5 mg). I’ve now been on that medication at 5 mg since the summer of 2020 and my life finally feels back in control.

Amazing, Alive & a Positive Outlook

If it wasn’t for the detailed information that GeneSight provided to my doctor, I don’t know that I would have risked taking another medication.

Now that I’m not riddled with crippling anxiety, everything has gotten better. I’m a better mom. I’m more motivated; in fact, I’m going back to school to get my bachelor’s degree. I’m more outgoing and friendly.

I’m better at my job – more focused and energetic. Today, I feel amazing, alive and I have a more positive outlook on life than before.