Hello all,

So I have had anxiety and depression related issues since I was in middle school at least, and for the past few years have been trying to manage it with medication. Last year, I was prescribed Escitalopram/Lexapro, but since I seemed to be experiencing Serotonin Syndrome (muscle spasms, dilated eyes, heightened anxiety, racing heart rate), I decided to stop after my second dose. This experience made me very afraid of trying medication, but then about two months ago, my PCP said that Lexapro may have just been too "harsh" of an option and that Citalopram/Celexa might work better for me. So she prescribed me some. However, I was so scared of experiencing the same side effects I felt before that I decided not to take it.

Turns out that that was a very good choice. Go anxiety brain!

After my refusal to take Citalopram, my PCP asked me if I would like to have a Genetic test done to determine what medications would work best for me and with the least side effects. I accepted, got my mouth swabbed, and got my results a few weeks later. I found out that I have a totally non-functional Cytochrome P450 2D6 enzyme which basically means that my body does not metabolize a good portion of commonly prescribed medications, including a majority of Antidepressants. Instead, they just sit there and accumulate each time I take one, resulting in overdose and other not-pleasant side effects.

I can't safely take: fluoxetine/Prozac, venlafaxine/Effexor, escitalopram/Lexapro, sertraline/Zoloft, amitryptyline/Elavil, clomipramine/Anafranil, desipramine/Norpramin, doxepin/Sinequan, imipramine/Tofranil, nortriptyline/Pamelor, vortioxetine/Trintellix, citalopram/Celexa, paroxetine/Paxil, selegiline/Emsam, vilazdone/Viibryd, bupropion/Wellbutrin, miratripzine/Remeron, trazodone/Desyrel, duloxetine/Cymbalta, or fluvoxamine/Luvox.

The only two antidepressants that I may be able to safely take are: desvenlafaxine/Pristiq and levomilnacipran/Fetzima.

My PCP wants me to start taking Pristiq to see if it works. Needless to say, I am terrified to try medication after what I just found out, even if it is medication that shouldn't negatively effect me like Lexapro did. I know that none of you on here are qualified to give me advice, but I just needed to let this off my chest.

I also found out that the mutation that I have makes me unable to process Codeine (and potentially other opioids), which explains why I felt so terrible taking Codeine after I got my Wisdom Teeth Removed. The terrible nightmares and facial numbness weren't due to anxiety, they were due to the gene-medication interactions. It's kind of nice to know that all the weird side effects that I experience from taking certain meds might not be anxiety. It makes me feel validated, like it wasn't all in my head.