I have had pharmacogenomics testing, at Mayo actually. Afterward, there’s a consultation with one of the pharmacists to explain it.

It was pretty complex, and I don’t exactly have a science brain, but it was my understanding that while the science is evolving, there’s still many limitations around what they can recommend based on the data they currently have. If I remember correctly, most of the existing data is based on genes that affect how your liver metabolizes medications.

But please don’t quote me on that because I’m not 100% on it, but the main idea was that because the majority of the research is focused on how one specific part of the body processes medications, it limits which medications they can advise on. And there’s also more data regarding some genes more than others.

The pharmacist specifically told me there isn’t supporting data for most of the kinds of medications used for autoimmune conditions. Drugs we discussed that I can recall were gabapentin, some antidepressants including amitryptaline, blood thinners, and there’s some cancer medications.

It was fascinating though and felt affirming because I learned I have a genetic variant that’s associated with metabolizing drugs more quickly, and the specific variant is involved in metabolizing around 30% of prescription drugs on the market. She said that might explain why I have trouble with so many medications.