Psychiatric medication plays a pivotal role in helping people that struggle with a mental health condition get relief from their symptoms. However, it can take time to find the right medication and dosage. To help you get the medication that works best for you, board-certified psychiatrist Renée Kohanski, MD, offers genetic testing at RK Psychiatry Associates in Somerset, New Jersey, and Mystic, Connecticut. Find out more about genetic testing for psychiatric medication by calling the office nearest you or scheduling a consultation online today.
Genetic testing is a type of medical test that looks at your genes to diagnose or determine the risk of disease. It involves looking at a specific sequence of genes associated with a known disease.
At RK Psychiatry Associates, Dr. Kohanski offers genetic testing to help with prescribing psychiatric medication. Individual variations in a person’s genetic sequencing may affect how they respond to medications.
For example, some people have genetic coding that decreases the rate at which they metabolize a medication. Getting too high of a dose may cause uncomfortable side effects.
With psychiatric medication genetic testing, Dr. Kohanski can provide individual care that best meets your needs while reducing the risk of side effects.
Dr. Kohanski reviews the details of how genetic testing works after a medication management consultation. Genetic testing for psychiatric medication is harmless and simple.
Dr. Kohanski may do your genetic testing at the office or have you use an at-home kit. For the test, you use a cotton swab to collect DNA from your cheek inside your mouth. You place the swab in a sealed container and send it to the lab for analysis.
It takes the lab about two to three days to return the results to Dr. Kohanski. The testing looks for pharmacokinetic genes and pharmacodynamic genes.
Your pharmacokinetic genes tell Dr. Kohanski how your body uses the medication or how your body metabolizes the medication.
Pharmacodynamic genes tell Dr. Kohanski how the medication might affect your body or how your body responds to the medication, including side effects.
After genetic testing, Dr. Kohanski reviews the results with you and what they mean. She then prescribes medications to address your mental health condition based on the results of your genetic testing, including type and dose.
She uses psychiatric medication genetic testing to manage numerous mental health conditions, including mood disorders, depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
After starting your medication, Dr. Kohanski schedules regular follow-up appointments to monitor symptoms and side effects.
For individual psychiatric care that includes genetic testing, call RK Psychiatry Associates or schedule an appointment online today.