How A Medication Level Test and Pharmacogenetic Passport Can Optimize Your Medication Use

How a medication level test and pharmacogenetic passport help optimize medication use, as with David's treatment with paroxetine, by providing insight into genetic susceptibility and proper dosing.

David is a young man who has been taking paroxetine for several years to treat his anxiety disorder and depression. Recently, he wondered if he could have his medication levels checked. He was experiencing some side effects, such as fatigue and headaches, and was concerned that his medication may not be working optimally. David also wondered if there was a way to better understand how his body was responding to paroxetine and other medications.

Read more about how David, through a medication level test and a pharmacogenetic passport, gained more control over his medication use and side effects.

Step 1: The Paroxetine Medication Level Test

David asked us if he could have a medication level test done for paroxetine. This is an antidepressant commonly prescribed to treat depression and anxiety disorders. By measuring the medication level in his blood, David could better understand if he was taking the right dosage.

Why a medication level test?
A medication level test measures the concentration of a drug in the blood. For David, it was important to know if the amount of paroxetine in his blood was within therapeutic limits. This helped prevent him from taking too little (which would make it ineffective) or too much (which could cause side effects) medication.

Guideline values for Paroxetine:

• Therapeutic level: 20 - 65 µg/l
• Toxic level: > 120 µg/l

The test was performed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS), a highly accurate analytical method. For a correct result, David had to have blood drawn just before taking his next dose of paroxetine.

Step 2: David's Pharmacogenetic Passport.

In addition to the medication level test, David decided to do a pharmacogenetic DNA test. This gave him insight into how his body responds to paroxetine as well as a wide range of other medications.

What is pharmacogenetics?
How well drugs work and what side effects occur can vary from person to person because of genetic variations. Some people break down certain drugs faster or slower, which may make them more or less sensitive to those drugs. A pharmacogenetic passport maps these genetic differences and indicates how your body responds to different medications.

David chose the iGene DNA test, which provides information on more than 60 medications. This passport gives doctors and pharmacists valuable information so they can tailor medications and dosages to a person's specific genetic characteristics.

Medications tested in the Pharmacogenetic Passport

Below is a list of all drugs included in the pharmacogenetic test:

Test Results

Thanks to the pharmacogenetic passport, David discovered that he had a genetic variation that caused him to break down paroxetine more slowly than the average person. This explained the side effects he was experiencing. With this information, his doctor was able to adjust the dosage, which significantly reduced the side effects and he began to feel better.

In addition, David gained insight into how he might react to other medications, which is very valuable for future treatments. His doctor could now determine in advance the correct dosage of medications such as ibuprofen, citalopram or tramadol, which significantly reduces the risk of side effects and ineffectiveness.

Conclusion

David's real-life example shows how valuable a medication level test and pharmacogenetic passport can be. By measuring his medication level of paroxetine and mapping his genetic susceptibility to medications, David not only gained more insight into his current treatment, but also into future medications he may need to take.

If, like David, you struggle with side effects from your medication or wonder if you're getting the right dosage, consider getting a medication level test. In addition, a pharmacogenetic DNA test can help you discover how your body responds to a wide range of medications. This way, you can work with your doctor or pharmacist to get a more customized treatment.

Want to know more about the possibilities? Then contact us, we will be happy to help you.