Why do some suffer negative side effects from common
antidepressants while others do not? Genes may be to blame: A minor
genetic variation appears to make some people overly sensitive to a class
of psychoactive drugs called SSRIs that includes Paxil. Bad reactions can
include dizziness, upset stomach, sleeplessness and sexual
dysfunction.
Greer Murphy, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford Medical Center,
organized a study to examine the genetic underpinnings of drug response.
Picking the right antidepressant to prescribe can be something of a
crapshoot, say doctors, who want to avoid putting patients through a long
process of trial and error to find the best meds. "Tailoring the
medication to the individual patient would be a tremendous advantage,"
says Murphy.
In his study, 246 depressed individuals were split into two groups:
Some were given Paxil, which can cause the side effects, and others where
given Remeron, an antidepressant that does not.
The Paxil-takers with the 5HT2a gene were more likely to stop
taking their meds. Some 46 percent quit, compared to 16 percent of
Paxil-takers without the gene. Only 15 percent of those taking Remeron,
with or without the variant, did not finish their therapy. Murphy
concludes that the gene--which is associated with these side effects--
explains why these subjects quit taking Paxil.
Murphy notes there will always be environmental factors--such as
one's health--to consider when choosing medication. "We know that
genetics is not the end all on answering every question about who should
take what drug," admits Murphy. "But, it's an objective way to get a
handle on it."
The study was published this October in the
American Journal of Psychiatry.
Tags:
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drug response,
environmental factors,
genetic underpinnings,
genetic variation,
meds,
psychoactive drugs,
remeron,
sleeplessness,
SSRIs,
stanford medical center,
trial and error,
upset stomach
