Medicine histories that span the map
Military families in Colorado Springs often arrive with records from Germany, Texas, Korea, and Virginia, and a list of antidepressants that did not work or caused side effects. GeneSight, a pharmacogenomic test from Myriad Genetics, adds genetic information that can help explain those misses and guide the next choice.
The science, briefly
Liver enzymes process most psychiatric medicines, and your genes control how fast. The test reads a cheek swab for variants in genes including CYP2D6 and CYP2C19. Slow variants can cause medicine to build up and bring side effects at standard doses. Fast variants can clear a medicine before it helps.
What comes back
A report sorts medicines into three groups: use as directed, moderate gene-drug interaction, or significant gene-drug interaction. The last group is a caution sign, not a ban. Your provider might choose another medicine, start lower, or check in more often.
Who it suits
- Service members, veterans, and family members who have tried two or more medicines for depression, anxiety, or PTSD without relief
- People with unusual side effects at standard doses
- People taking several medicines for pain, sleep, or blood pressure
For a first medicine, standard choices usually work without testing.
Pain medicines too
Codeine and tramadol rely on CYP2D6 to become active. A slow CYP2D6 result can explain why those pain medicines never worked. With your permission, results can be shared with the doctor managing your pain.
Evidence in perspective
The GUIDED trial showed higher response and remission rates with GeneSight-guided care, though it did not reach its main goal for overall symptom improvement. Pharmacogenetic guidelines recommend adjusting several antidepressants for certain CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 results. Testing improves the odds, not the certainty.
Limits
It does not diagnose PTSD, depression, or any other condition, and it lacks FDA approval for choosing antidepressants. Your provider combines it with a full psychiatric evaluation.
Athletes
Some athletes worry that genetic testing could affect eligibility. GeneSight is a clinical test for medicine choices, not a performance or doping test. Results stay in your medical record.
Privacy
We do not share results with your command without your written permission. GINA, a federal law from 2008, also bars most employers from making job decisions based on genetic information.
Portable for life
Your genes never change, so the report travels with you through every PCS and every new prescriber. Keep a copy.
When testing can wait
If you have tried only one medicine briefly, a full trial at the right dose usually comes before testing. Your provider will be honest about whether results are likely to change anything now.
Questions to bring
Which medicines are on the table next? How might results reorder that list? What happens if every column comes back clear? Mention any relatives who had unusual reactions to psychiatric medicines.
A Fort Carson example
Picture a staff sergeant who had nausea and a racing heart on two antidepressants at low doses. A report might show slow CYP2D6 activity, so even small doses ran high. That could steer the provider toward a medicine cleared another way, or a smaller start.
Older adults and stacked prescriptions
Retired service members often take several medicines that share liver enzymes with antidepressants. A report plus a full medicine review can help your provider avoid combinations that build up in your system.
The process
You and your provider decide whether testing could change your plan. The swab takes a minute during a visit, and your provider explains the report when it returns.
A report for the whole care team
With your permission, your provider can share the report with your primary care doctor, a VA clinician, or a base provider, since many non-psychiatric medicines use the same enzymes.
Getting started
Testing is ordered through your care here and paired with medication management. Visit 102 S Tejon St, and become a patient to ask whether it fits.
Why Choose Colorado Springs Psychiatry and Mental Health?
- Board-certified psychiatric providers serving Colorado Springs and all of Colorado
- Research-backed treatment protocols
- Full documentation for all evaluations
- Coordinated care with your other providers across the region