Many medicines, one body
Many of our Tucson patients, especially retirees, take medicines for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, heart rhythm, or pain. Each one is processed by the body in its own way, often through the same liver enzymes that break down antidepressants and other psychiatric medicines. GeneSight, a test from Myriad Genetics, looks at genes that affect those enzymes and other aspects of medication response.
What the test checks
A cheek swab is analyzed for variations in genes such as CYP2D6 and CYP2C19, along with others linked to how medicines are processed and how people respond. The report sorts common psychiatric medicines into groups, from use as directed to significant gene-drug interaction.
Who may benefit
- People who have tried two or more medicines for depression or anxiety without success
- People who had side effects at standard doses
- Older adults on several medicines where interactions are a concern
- People whose family members responded unusually to certain medicines
What the evidence shows
The GUIDED trial found higher response and remission rates when providers used GeneSight results, though it did not meet its main goal for overall symptom improvement. Pharmacogenetics groups such as CPIC publish dosing advice for certain SSRIs when CYP2D6 or CYP2C19 results are unusual. Testing is a helpful tool, not a guarantee.
What it cannot do
The report is not a diagnosis, and it cannot promise that any single medicine will succeed. It also does not replace a careful review of your other prescriptions, kidney and liver function, and age. Your provider combines it with a full psychiatric evaluation.
Older adults and dosing
In later life, the body often processes medicines more slowly regardless of genes. Results can help your provider decide where to start, but older adults still usually begin at lower doses and increase gradually.
The process
- Decide with your provider whether testing fits your history
- A quick, painless cheek swab is collected
- The lab analyzes the sample
- Your provider explains the results and how they shape your options
Lasting value
Your genes do not change, so results can guide future medication choices too. They become part of your medical record for your care team.
Questions to ask your provider
How would results change what we try next? Which of my current medicines might be affected? Should my starting dose be lower? Asking these up front helps you decide together whether testing is worth doing now.
Sharing results with your other doctors
Because many psychiatric medicines share liver pathways with heart, pain, and stomach medicines, your provider may share relevant results with your primary care doctor so everyone works from the same information.
When testing may not help yet
If you have only tried one medicine briefly, your provider may suggest a full trial of a standard option first. Testing is most valuable when there is a clear pattern of failures or side effects, especially in people taking many medicines.
An example from practice
Imagine a retiree who felt foggy and unsteady on two antidepressants at normal doses while also taking a heart medicine. A report showing slow processing through a shared liver pathway could explain the side effects and point toward a different choice or a lower dose. The report helps tell the story; your provider and you decide the next chapter.
Results that follow you
Your genes do not change, so the report remains useful for future decisions, including if you see another prescriber while spending part of the year elsewhere.
Getting started
Testing is ordered as part of your care with us and continues through medication management. Visit us at 177 N Church Ave. Become a patient to ask about it.
Why Choose Catalina Ridge Mental Health?
- Providers across the Tucson metro and all of Arizona who actually listen and take their time
- Now accepting new patients because waiting makes everything harder
- We accept most major insurance and Medicare — and work with you on costs
- A practice that treats you like a person, not a number