Fetzima (levomilnacipran) and DNA testing

Hello everyone,
I rarely ever post but I do read every post on this forum and find I gain so much strength from all of your posts. This time I am looking for some feedback.

I have been in a depressive phase of my BPII for the past year and a half. My psych is trying different med combos in an attempt to bring me some relief. A few months back he replaced Abilify with Latuda and I actually felt better for about two months, then I went back downhill. I am at the max dose of Latuda that both he and I are comfortable with. Over the past two months he has been giving me Adderall 30mg as it provides a temporary reprieve from some of the depression, but it is not a long term solution. He is just trying to get me through until he can figure out our next step.

Yesterday the next step came in the form of Fetzima (levomilnacipran). It is an SNRI and has only been available in the US since December 2013, so I don't know much about it. From what my psych said, it increases the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine. He tried me on Pristiq for a month to no avail, but he said Fetzima will cause the release of 10 times the norepinephrine than Pristiq does. My psych believes Fetzima will more than adequately fill the hole that Adderall is doing now.

Do any of you have any experience with Fetzima or just opinions of it based on what I know? I'm just looking for some input.

The other interesting thing he did was have me take a DNA mouth swab test that is read by a relatively new method by a company called Molecular Testing Labs ( I hope it is okay to put that in here). I cannot even begin to understand all of the results but, in a nutshell, it shows what types of medications you are more sensitive too and whether or not you metabolize classes of medications at a normal, intermediate or poor level. My results led my psych to choosing Fetzima for me. He feels this type of DNA testing is the future of mental health. My psych is 72 years old and has seen so much in the years he has been practicing that I believe if he thinks this type of test is revolutionary then it probably is. It is still in the beta phase but any direction for me at this point is worth a try.

Sorry for going on so long. I would appreciate any opinions, thoughts, insight and "I think this test is bull****" responses.

Take good care,
Alice

I hope the new drug goes well for you and you get some relief without too many side effects.

The DNA test is really interesting. It raises the question, "Is who we are determined by our nature or nurture?"
- Nurture - how we are brought up, or nurtured. Significant life events that make us who we are.
- Nature - Who we are is pre-determined by our parents DNA.

Adolf Hitler believed pure blood Germans had good DNA and were superior people. The flip side of that was particular groups in society were inferior and should be wiped out through mass execution. The Nazi party believed races and cultures including Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and the mentally ill were inferior. He wanted to breed a "master race". The science is called eugenics.

It was a very scarey period in human histoy.

Thanks for the reply, skilsaw. I've read a lot about Hitler, the Holocaust and eugenics. It is just nauseating. And to think eugenics was practiced in many states in the US not so long ago.

Thanks for the positive wishes about the new med.

Take care,
Alice

The good news is that with good medical ethics, tests like your DNA test can be done without causing us fear or worry.
Take care,

Hey

I really hope the new med works.

In terms of the swab I am not sure if it is the same thing but to my dim recollection there are enzymes ppl may or may not have (at least in quantity) which can affect whether meds will work for you. I believe this can be tested for- maybe it is a similar thing to this. I learnt about this a long time ago tho and my memory is pretty hazy on it - but the thing I am thinking of has been around for a while - yours sounds like newer technology

Anyhow hope it does the trick

Huge hugs

Cracked

Cracked,

Thanks for the well wishes on the new med. I am more hopeful than I've been in a long time about this med being the help I've been looking for.

Huge hugs! xxx
Alice

bamaalice wrote:Cracked,

Thanks for the well wishes on the new med. I am more hopeful than I've been in a long time about this med being the help I've been looking for.

Huge hugs! xxx
Alice

HUGE hugs Alice

Cracked xxx