Anxiety is not unfamiliar to most individuals, especially during stressful moments. It can sometimes appear as a nervousness or fear. However, to most, this tends to remain strictly in one’s head. It is rising to become a draining condition for some, ruining normal activities. This can happen mostly at work, in school, and in relationships, severely affecting quality of life. In this Blog, we will discuss the PGx Gene test for anxiety medication.

Development of Anxiety Disorders

Recent research findings show that anxiety and depression prevail in more people. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders among adults grew dramatically over a short period as the pandemic raged, with growth from 36.4% to 41.5%. This must improve by seeking better mental health care solutions. Most people are suffering, and mental healthcare professionals need access to the latest sophisticated equipment that can be used to detect and treat patients with these conditions.

What is Pharmacogenomics?

Pharmacogenetic PGx Testing is the study that explores how our genes determine our response to medication. In other words, pharmacogenetic testing enables healthcare providers to identify drugs that will best serve an individual according to their specific genetic makeup. RPhLabs® specializes in a test for pharmacogenetics (PGx) test specifically targeting mental health drugs known as the Pharmacogenomics PGx Gene test. This revolutionary tool has the potential to make it easier to identify appropriate treatments for anxiety. And significantly reduce the guesswork often associated with medication prescriptions.

Common Anxiety Disorders

While normal in life, anxiety disorders are a serious problem. Such disorders result in severe symptoms to the extent that they hinder other daily activities. Some of the common anxiety disorders include the following:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Excessive, uncontrollable worry about a variety of things going on in life
Social Anxiety Disorder: Fear of social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to scrutiny by others. A fear of judgment by others
Separation Anxiety Disorder: First diagnosed in children, but can occur in adults. Significant distress or anxiety upon separation from home or from primary attachment figures, where such separation is actual or anticipated.
Phobias: Irrational or excessive fear of an object or situation, leading the person to avoid the situation altogether.
However, despite this, anxiety disorders can be managed well with an integration of therapy and medication.

Anxiety Disorder Treatments

During the treatment course for anxiety disorders, most health practitioners often focus on the three following areas:
Psychological Counseling: Such treatment typically begins with Some of the techniques. It includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which will teach the patients how to handle their anxiety. CBT targets the alteration of negative thoughts that drive anxiety behaviors.
Prescription Medications: Probably the first line of treatment for anxiety symptoms is prescription medications. They’re not easy to come by, though. Sometimes, it takes weeks for medications to begin working. And sometimes, it takes several medications before finding the right one.
Continuous Support: The patient should be able to communicate with healthcare providers to change treatment plans when necessary. Follow-up visits can also help handle any side effects or new symptomatology.

Common Medication Classes

The following are some classes of medicines that the healthcare providers most often prescribe for anxiety disorders:
SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors): These medications are prescribed most often for anxiety. Examples of SSRIs include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), and fluoxetine (Prozac). The drugs increase the levels of serotonin in the brain, which improves mood and reduces anxiety.
SNRIs (Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors): Drugs like venlafaxine (Effexor) and duloxetine (Cymbalta) act on both serotonin and norepinephrine, so they help treat depression or anxiety.
Tricyclic Antidepressants TCAs: Although older and not quite as commonly used today, given the side effect profile, TCAs are an excellent choice for a select few patients.
Benzodiazepines: Drugs such as alprazolam, or by its brand name Xanax, are used at times on an as-needed basis to manage symptoms of anxiety. However, drugs of this class carry a significant risk of abuse and are consequently used carefully.

The Benefits of PGx Testing

This PGx Gene test by RPhLab can be a fundamental tool in anxiety treatment. For example, examining the patient’s genetic profile helps determine how the patient may respond to certain medications. Based on this information, healthcare providers may better choose the required treatments, potentially hastening the process of finding an effective medication.

Benefits of PGx Testing Are:

• Minimized trial and error: It can be frustrating for the patient when several drugs are tested before identifying the effective one.
• Faster relief: appropriate medication identification allows relief of the anxiety symptoms quickly.
• Tailored treatment: Every individual has a unique genetic composition. PGx tests ensure patients get tailored medicines and will likely obtain the desired outcome.

Conclusion

Anxiety can be a hard battle, but there are some very effective treatments. For example, the PGx Gene test will help you realize the proper care for the person involved, making the healthcare provider even more informed in making the right medication decision for that patient. It does make all the difference in fighting anxiety and, in turn, one’s overall welfare.