Genetic testing for ADHD meds

[miriamzz]

I've read on this thread and one or two others about genetic testing to determine what ADHD meds might work for my kid, but when I asked our child psychiatrist at Kaiser, they said the science isn't there yet and there's no evidence that the information is actually correlated to the effectiveness of different medications. I'm wondering if it's worth trying to do this on our own, but struggling with the conflicting information. How has it helped your family choose the right medication for your child? Is it mostly about avoiding side effects?

Thanks!

[STEM_Dad]

According to ADHD experts like Dr. Russell Barkley, there are a number of genes which have been identified which are correlated with ADHD. (ADHD is generally believed to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, not either one alone.)

There are genetic tests which can identify if a person has genes which have been correlated with ADHD.

One such test of known as GeneSight, which is claimed to be able to give results which will suggest which ADHD medications are likely to work for an individual.

I have read several accounts about people who had the GeneSight or other ADHD genetic test done, and that the recommend medication worked well for them. Some of them had to pay for the test, while for others it was covered at least in part by health insurance.

I have not done a gene test, and as far as I know nobody in my family has (except you genetic testing to identify heritage, but not for medical purposes).

If a $300+ test could have saved me the several months of medication trials it took before I got onto the one that worked best for me, then I certainly would have strongly considered it.

(My poor performance at work as I went through the medication trials might be the reason I was let go from a job. It wasn't the reason given to me, but might have been the underlying reason. Of course, it's impossible to know what might have been.)

[Cjkchamp]

Psychiatrist wouldn't use it to determine medications and just told me they use it to see how quickly medications are metabolized. We tried one medication from the yellow category, and it was a disaster. Broad spectrum micronutrients ended up working best for my child.

[arrh121]

We had the test done and it was slightly helpful for us in determining the right starting dose for one medication. We probably would have ended up in the same place regardless though.

[YazzyN]

I had my daughter test this

clarityxdna.com/

The test result was detailed and it said Ritalin is not effective for her but Vyvanse and Adderal would be. So back to trying Vyvanse after trying many kinds. I saw them go on sale upto 50% off over the thanksgiving.

[STEM_Dad in reply to YazzyN]

I hope that either Vyvanse does work for your daughter, or that the right other meditation is figured out sooner, rather than later.

[artistmomMe]

We used genesight in the past but more to determine meds for our daughter's depression. It did not give us a lot of info for her ADHD. It is not an exact science but we did find it helpful knowing there are so many different anti-depressants to choose from.