Comments
S3NTIN3L_ t1_isajggm wrote
They do have that process for metabolization of the med but not how effective it will be. Genesight is the main company that does it
SyntaxError_22 t1_isaqe2u wrote
Chiming in to say the same. https://genesight.com/product/
I was tested through this method a month ago and my meds were changed to align with the results.
I have not felt this good in years.
SyntaxError_22 t1_isay2xn wrote
Thank you for the award!
tqb t1_isbfbqf wrote
How much did it cost?
redditcats t1_isbjrbn wrote
Good question. I’d also like to know.
SyntaxError_22 t1_isbuxua wrote
I have not received the bill yet however I believe she said it was under $200? I will use my HSA account to pay for it.
Honestly, I'd pay more considering how much better I am feeling. It's been a rough past three years clawing myself out of the cesspool of depression. This is the best I have felt in 5+ years.
taosk8r t1_isn6cgs wrote
I am just curious what you switched to. Im on Mirtazapine and Wellbutrin and they dont do much. Been on Zoloft before and felt like an emotionless robot, and I think a few others in between, but never really found anything that works.
lurkerfromstoneage t1_isbnobo wrote
Your insurance could cover it. Call them. Ask your psych/prescriber if you qualify for the in office test.
Poowatereater t1_isb5jh1 wrote
Thanks for this. Going to give it a shot after not having a few different meds do right by me.
What was your out of pocket cost for the test?
lurkerfromstoneage t1_isbntde wrote
Call your insurance. It has to be ordered by a psych/doctor and done in office with them.
Poowatereater t1_iseoihd wrote
Started looking around now! Thanks again
LunaAndromeda t1_iscgj9m wrote
As someone who has tried at least 7 different medications, always with either zero effect or massive side effects, I always wanted to try genetic testing. I knew it existed but didn't know where to get it done. That's awesome it helped you. I might have to look into it.
JR_Shoegazer t1_isawh4p wrote
I’ve tried one of the DNA testing things and it did not match my experience of finding certain medications not effective.
amtrusc t1_isb8opa wrote
That’s because they don’t have the capability of telling whether or not a medication will be effective. Results can include information regarding the drug’s metabolism and whether perhaps higher or lower doses may be required, if smoking affects the drug level, if maybe there would be a chance of increased adverse effects, and the like.
JR_Shoegazer t1_isb9s8u wrote
Yes, and I’m saying that was inaccurate.
NightlyWave t1_isauh3j wrote
I was prescribed sertraline after one appointment, even after I specifically mentioned my depression symptoms were potentially caused by my undiagnosed ADHD at the time. They refused to entertain the idea of me having ADHD and just threw sertraline at me. Thankfully I refused them and went private for an actual ADHD diagnosis. I'm medicated now and I've not been unhappy since.
Edit - This is in the UK
ThomasFromOhio t1_isb5u85 wrote
Very happy for you that you have it all worked out! I just wish the doc would have talked to me about possible issues with the med. I learned to ASK questions and research meds on my own before getting a script filled and starting to take it.
NightlyWave t1_isbzq9g wrote
I probably spent more time researching and learning about neuroscience and endocrinology than I did on my entire degree in computer science. It’s the reason why I knew an SSRI wasn’t right for me because I understood my issue was fundamentally within my dopaminergic system which amphetamines took care of perfectly. It’s nice to finally function and thrive after living a life of the complete opposite.
LionIV t1_iscbeok wrote
The problem is doctors thinking you’re just trying to get high. Don’t even dare mention that you smoke weed as a way to self-medicate your symptoms away, because then you’ll NEVER get the help you need.
OCE_Mythical t1_iscgdsd wrote
Man I feel so bad for you, the second you get the dex into you it's life-changing. I remember thinking, "is this how everyone else feels normally?" In relation to mental clarity. Wish it happened earlier for me too, I was about 20 when diagnosed so school was a joke.
NightlyWave t1_isfi7j4 wrote
Yeah, I had the same reaction as you. I did feel kinda depressed for a little while because I was just thinking about how much I could've accomplished had I been diagnosed much earlier but I stopped doing that because ultimately; the past is the past.
You mentioned "dex". I'm assuming you're taking Vyvanse/Elvanse?
OCE_Mythical t1_ish2ba9 wrote
Nah I take dexamphetamine 5mg. Vyvance and elvance is lisdexamphetamine, the prodrug of dex. I hate long acting stimulants so I prefer straight dex.
Soupppdoggg t1_isarh8e wrote
Yep had no effect on me. But came with withdrawals. So crappy.
PastaBob t1_isaxht0 wrote
Not even the stamina boost in bed?? I took it for months just for that, but didn't like the "distant emotions" feeling it gave me.
Qaz_ t1_isbr18p wrote
I think there are meds that help with that but don't cause the emotional issues to that degree (mostly because they have such a short half life that they leave your body and you just take it before you have sex). It's relatively recent but I don't know if insurance would cover.
ThomasFromOhio t1_isb6766 wrote
Not sure sertraline helped me at all with the mini anxiety attacks but I hear you on the withdrawal!
UsefulTrader t1_isb9tk9 wrote
I am also prescribed for 200mg Sertralin every morning and I'm really feeling great. I went to the psychiatrist to see if I had ADHD, instead I was prescribed for Anxiety and depression. Is the withdrawal really that bad? Or should I be concerned? Also I don't mind taking it for the rest of my life if it makes me feel good?
I_Am_Jacks_Karma t1_isbarep wrote
Have you ever missed a dose? Those brain shocks are very unpleasant and takes awhile to go away. Withdrawal is obviously different in severity for every individual but if you've ever missed a dose or two you have a good idea of how it will feel
UsefulTrader t1_isca3ci wrote
I have. I didn't feel anything too severe. But I must tell you that 200mg is my stepped up dose. I started with 50mg a day for the first month (that's also when I missed a dose because I rescheduled my appointment a day later, so I went on 31st day instead of 30th). Along with Sertralin I am also taking Zolpidem 5mg and Amitriptyline 25mg.
ThomasFromOhio t1_isbdhdh wrote
Yes! I forgot all about those. My wife and I were on sertraline together and both ran out at the same time, a week before vacation! I thought we were going to kill each other, no joke. Luckily the script came in the mail a few days after we ran out and we were back to just wanting to kill each other in time for vacation. :)
ThomasFromOhio t1_isbd68u wrote
For some people about a third if I recall correctly, it's extremely difficult to stop taking the med. You have to reduce the amount you take over time. Some people can do that over the course of a couple months. I wasn't so lucky. In addition, I gave up at one point and just started taking it because my mood in addition to other issues were really that bad.
Some people also build up a tolerance to the med and have to increase the dosage. I don't know if this med has a max dosage, but if it does, when you hit that point and it stops working as well as it used to, you'll need to stop taking the med, most likely before starting a new one.
I am not trying to scare anyone or tell anyone not to take this drug. I'm just sharing things that I wish I knew so I could have made an informed decision before taking it.
[deleted] t1_isbxdjb wrote
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DrBimboo t1_isbg14g wrote
Does not have to be. I had 200 mg for years, and the same as you, I wouldnt have minded taking it for the rest of my life.
But at some point I felt the only contact point to my problems was taking the pills, so I tried to stop, and there were 0 problems.
UsefulTrader t1_iscblgr wrote
That sounds very reassuring. Thanks. As mentioned above I did miss a dose but didn't feel anything. Maybe because my brain is not yet used to it?
Greengiant2021 t1_isbej6f wrote
I found it worked well till it didn’t, I was immune to it in under a year. I’ve been through 4 different antidepressants, they all ended up being useless after 10 to 12 months. The withdrawal can be brutal. It’s all an experiment really. Everyone is different, good luck.
UsefulTrader t1_iscbcsv wrote
Thank you. I hope you are doing well. Also I don't mind if they stop working after a year because I need help now as I have a very crucial exam of my life in February and the only thing holding me back is my out of control mind. When I take my pills, the reaction my roommate gives me, really makes me feel bad, as if I'm at a mental asylum taking my meds.
Greengiant2021 t1_iscl4yl wrote
It’s none of your roommates business what you put in your body. Don’t let small minded people hold you back. I get it that you need that bit of help regarding your exams. Do whatever it takes to get your best results.
feelings_arent_facts t1_isbh6ci wrote
Pick up a milligram scale and take a piece of sandpaper. Every day, shave 1 milligram of your pill down. So if it weighs 200mg, do 199mg, 198mg, etc. etc. You can do 2mg drops to if you want. Go as low as you can. If you have symptoms, ask your doctor to go on Prozac and titrate off with that. It has a longer half life.
Also, sanction this with a doctor first and with regular updates with your psychiatrist and therapist...
Best-Dragonfly t1_isbzxcn wrote
This is potentially poor advice, sertraline tends to be film coated tablets, if you tinker with the coating you might affect the absorption rate causing effects you might not anticipate.
Pleasant_Carpenter37 t1_isbfovz wrote
I had the opposite experience. It was VERY effective at helping with my depression, but oh God, the side effects were awful.
Tapering off it was as easy as starting it for me.
ThomasFromOhio t1_isbi2ug wrote
augh! what were your side effects? Glad you didn't have problems getting off the med. Most people don't but enough people do that there should be mandatory precautionary discussion with doc before a script is written.
Pleasant_Carpenter37 t1_isc7aak wrote
Caused problems in the bedroom. It turns out there IS such a thing as lasting too long :\
benchmarkstatus t1_isbdv0s wrote
What were the withdrawals like? I had been on it for 15 years or so and every time I went off, I’d get these horrible brain zaps if I didn’t perfectly taper off. Finally quit for good six months ago and it left me feeling Kind of weird.
ThomasFromOhio t1_isbf0ut wrote
I SOOOO forgot about the brain zaps until first reminded about them by another poster. The brain zaps for sure, but I also had a personality change. Very irritable. You could say good morning and I'd snap at you. Not sure I ever recovered from that 100%. I also had dizziness, and an overall just unwell feeling. Several months after weaning myself "off" I had mild symptoms of the same and kept wondering what was going on and thought of going to the doc until I realized it was the sertraline. Took about a full year for those side affects to finally go away.
Tzayad t1_isbh04d wrote
I've always heard of "brain zaps," and I wonder if that's what i was experiencing when I came off of Zoloft.
It wasn't in my brain though, so I didn't connect it right away. I was having weird jolts/tingles traveling down my arms. Was happening for months, then I started on a different anti depressant, and those zaps immediately went away
ThomasFromOhio t1_isbhuqy wrote
I would suggest that they were. I also remember to some minor degree jolts running through various parts of my body.
SilentScyther t1_isbiay4 wrote
I hated getting off of sertraline but thankfully my symptoms were confined to only a couple weeks. Dealing with that for a year sounds awful.
ThomasFromOhio t1_isbjma5 wrote
It was what it was. What's amazing is that most people can just stop taking the med cold turkey without any problems.
TheFlayerDuder t1_isbittk wrote
As someone who was on multiple anti-depressants at various strengths, I wish I had this to help me before my brain got fried on this shit.
ThomasFromOhio t1_isbjwjt wrote
Hopefully it helps someone avoid our problems.
Ocean_Soapian t1_isco7mm wrote
They do. I took a test called Genesight. It breaks up the medications into three groups based how how well your body metabolizes them. Once I got that test, both meds I started were absolutely perfect. It's like I have a new life.
empteevessel t1_isk26gx wrote
I took it too, albeit many years too late in my opinion. Results made so much sense, learned I had a moderate or sever gene interaction with all but 6 of the 20 some odd antidepressants listed in their panel. These pharmacogenomic tests shouldn’t be such a damn secret, would save years of trial and error for so many people.
Ocean_Soapian t1_isld0mv wrote
Yeah, I had mine done at age 33.
I try hard not to become too caught up in my regret and sadness over not having the test available to me sooner. Almost no professional medical doctors know about it now, so it's not like I could have gotten it done in time to save all the years of agony over having severe MTHFR and not being medicated properly when i was younger. I would have had a much easier time in school, and in life in general.
But, I can't tell you how relieved I am to know that I'm not just lazy or useless, and that there was a legitimate medical reason for why doing things that seemed so easy for everyone else was so difficult for me.
I'm just very thankful that I've got another 30 or so years ahead of me where I get to have a better, more normal life experience. It makes me sad for those in the past that didn't have an explanation or a cure as to why they struggled so hard.
ThomasFromOhio t1_iso16nz wrote
That's great to know but I wonder why it isn't more commonly performed. Wonder if it's $$$?
Ocean_Soapian t1_isp6e69 wrote
It's expensive, but I don't think that's the reason why. Almost no general practitioners know about the test, or what MTFHR is. I think it's just still too unknown.
BlueLeatherBucket t1_isgcx9f wrote
Curious what side effects you experienced when trying to get off the drug? I experience sever brain flashes whenever I forget to take it after a few days. Anything else you had to deal with?
ThomasFromOhio t1_iso1jv5 wrote
Definitely the brain jolts which I TOTALLY forgot until another redditor posted about them. Also very very irritable. Dizziness if I recall correctly and overall not feeling well at all. When I was finally able to "stop" taking the med, I had a few episodes of not feeling well sort of hard to explain the exact feeling and wondered what was causing them and then I recalled the ssri I was taking and I instantly accounted those symptoms from that drug. Those lasted for about a year after completely being off the med.
firstorbit t1_isbekc7 wrote
Yeah fuck that drug and doctors who prescribe it immediately. It is good for lasting longer in bed though.
Sariel007 OP t1_isac9yx wrote
Depression is an all-too-common psychiatric condition that can profoundly affect a person’s well-being. While there is a huge range of medications available to treat depression, many people don’t respond to the first or even second medications they are prescribed. As a result, doctors must often take a trial-and-error approach, meaning it could take months or even years to find an effective medication.
In the search for better approach, some researchers are exploring the use of machine learning to predict which patients will respond to a specific antidepressant medication. In a study published 12 September in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, one team describes a machine-learning algorithm that analyzes the electrical activity of people’s brains and could predict response to the antidepressant Sertraline with 83.7 percent accuracy.
a1b3c2 t1_isaoo2b wrote
This is amazing. Can confirm, felt like my doctor just threw things at the wall to see what sticks. Tried over a dozen meds.
runswithcoyotes t1_isao9ic wrote
I don’t understand this article. How effective is this particular medication in the general population? We are missing key information.
> along with predicting response to Sertraline with 83.7 percent accuracy could similarly detect response to the placebo with 83 percent accuracy
oldspacesoul t1_isb2wxv wrote
I hope it’s not going to stop only with antidepressants. I was Montelukast for many years that was cause of my depression and hell lot of nightmares, while the medicine was generally prescribed for cold and asthma. I stopped it and I started feeling better and my nightmares went to 0.
Will_Correct_You t1_isb9v73 wrote
Sertraline didn't do shit for me.
Microdosing psilocybin though did wonders.
omnichronos t1_isbgi4m wrote
yogopig t1_isbqs20 wrote
No sir, Psilocybin has no recognized medical uses don’t you know?
plastictriggerz t1_ism76ng wrote
Why does reddit love to shit on antidepressants but act like psilocybin is some sort of miracle cure? There's far more proper research on the effectiveness on SSRIs. A study with no blinds, controls, and literally 24 people isn't exactly foolproof.
Don't get me wrong, you could easily be right, and I wouldn't be surprised based on personal experience lol. But to make claims like that like you're certain, when the research simply isn't so conclusive yet, is pretty dangerous.
MarcAbelman t1_isdqnyx wrote
where can one get psilocybin
OneHumanPeOple t1_isd1ab9 wrote
I have 83% accuracy with that too. Just say “No” for everyone.
mxpx77 t1_isb1is0 wrote
I could’ve used this a long ass time ago. Find myself thinking that a lot nowadays. 😂
Quidditchgirl06 t1_isbk4lb wrote
Wish I had a way to know that sertraline was going to cause severe side effects for me before I tried it…very first experience with an anti-depressant and it almost made me not want to try something different!
Booopbooopp t1_isbtdba wrote
Sorry you had severe side effects :/. May I ask what you tried after sertraline?
Quidditchgirl06 t1_isc20ez wrote
I started with sertraline (horrible side effects I can’t even list them all), then escitalopram (felt empty/emotionless), then tried prozac (helped with depression but made anxiety worse).
I ended up having another medical issue come up later in life (seizures) which can be helped with lamictal. Coincidentally that is a mood stabilizer and I discovered it is my perfect medication! Normally it’s given to people with bi-polar disorder. It really helped both depression and anxiety symptoms for me, even though I’m not bipolar myself.
Everyone is different and has to go on their own medication journey, I’m lucky that after having that horrible experience with sertraline that I didn’t give up. It only took me 4 tries, but that’s 3 tries too many IMO.
tamemadnest t1_isbmnzl wrote
>Indeed, the study results show that the machine-learning algorithms—along with predicting response to Sertraline with 83.7 percent accuracy—could similarly detect response to the placebo with 83 percent accuracy.
>where we were able to identify the presence of suicidal ideation with accuracy of 70 percent
These EEG scans are just revolutionary. It's kind of crazy that we still in 2022 determine someone's degree of depression with pen & pad. I'm absolutely hyped to see this progresses though!!
silverback_79 t1_isd55zb wrote
I was given Sertraline and after five months of good progress my dose was upped, and a month later I had a euphoric lapse. For two months my mind broke and the walls between reality and fantasy all but vanished.
I voluntarily committed myself, and after a month of evaluation and care I was informed I had gotten a bipolar diagnosis. Today, two years later, I'm still not myself again.
So yeah, I would have liked the test OP talks about.
FuturologyBot t1_isagtsc wrote
The following submission statement was provided by /u/Sariel007:
Depression is an all-too-common psychiatric condition that can profoundly affect a person’s well-being. While there is a huge range of medications available to treat depression, many people don’t respond to the first or even second medications they are prescribed. As a result, doctors must often take a trial-and-error approach, meaning it could take months or even years to find an effective medication.
In the search for better approach, some researchers are exploring the use of machine learning to predict which patients will respond to a specific antidepressant medication. In a study published 12 September in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, one team describes a machine-learning algorithm that analyzes the electrical activity of people’s brains and could predict response to the antidepressant Sertraline with 83.7 percent accuracy.
Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/y3u04g/ai_can_offer_insight_into_who_responds_to/isac9yx/
[deleted] t1_isahsy6 wrote
[removed]
TheNotSoEvilEngineer t1_isbysqe wrote
Issue isn't who responds to antidepressants when you are ON them. The issue for most becomes how you and your body responds when you are OFF then. Plenty of suicides on people who regularly take them and are fine, up until they miss a dose or few for one reason or another.
myohmymiketyson t1_isc4tcx wrote
I take sertraline for anxiety (75 mgs/day) and I feel like a different person - in a good way. It is the only medication I've tried and I know I got lucky.
I had a few side effects initially, but the only one that's lasted is sleepiness. Some days I feel like I could sleep forever. But because my anxiety is so under control, it's a small price to pay.
urkillingme t1_isc803m wrote
Does AI predict the 60 lb weight gain on sertraline?
atlas_mornings t1_iscozzx wrote
This is interesting. I was on sertraline for awhile- it stopped most of my depressive episodes but resulted in me feeling 100% apathetic and numb all the time. Took me way too long to get off it because I was so apathetic about getting off it lmao
gastrocraft t1_isd1j8o wrote
Long term efficacy of antidepressants is shit. What does it matter if AI can predict who responds short term?
sneakysnake128 t1_isd7c0q wrote
I can predict depressive response to oppressing late stage capitalism with 100 percent accuracy.
bicyclelogic t1_isbah6f wrote
But antidepressants are usually effective for depression? Sertraline is commonly used. Seems like a BS study
Pleasant_Carpenter37 t1_isbfxbd wrote
There are lots of different antidepressants. Read the comments on this thread. Sertraline doesn't work for everyone, and that's the point of the study, to better forecast which meds will work for which patients.
Guaranteed-Return t1_isb2wer wrote
Life is so hard... Here's a robot to prescribe pills.
coyotesage t1_isbefif wrote
Oh, this sounds like eye-rolling. Can I do that with you? Can we do that at each other??? Let's cringe the world until it's dust baby!
DrBimboo t1_isbgedn wrote
Lets hear that again after you scream your lungs out from terror around 30 times a day.
ThomasFromOhio t1_isadxb1 wrote
It would be nice if they found SOME way to try to determine effectiveness of a med for a person before having to blindly scribe it. I was on sertraline for really no reason, but my doc was way too quick in writing a script for it. About a year later I decided there was no reason for me to be taking the med and decided to stop taking it. I'm one of the lucky ones who has a very difficult time getting off the drug. Took me three years to be able to stop taking it and then had withdrawal affects for another year. I could not imagine having to go through that after finding out that the medication didn't work for you at all.