CYP450 Genotypes and Drug Metabolism

You can now know on how your body is going to respond to many commonly prescribed medications even before taking them.

In many cases people over 65 years of age who take multiple drugs face even a greater risk of having a serious drug-related side effects. Learn more about yourself and the precise dose needed for each medication for the rest of your life.

At FirmaLab we use personalized genetic medicine based on your DNA to help your doctor create a treatment that is designed for you, your metabolism, and your medical needs.

For guidance on dosing adjustments, please see CYP Dosing Recommendations.

Contact us for consultation as needed.

If you are unique, then why are you getting the same drugs in the same dose as everyone else?

Historically some physicians experimented on their patients, changing doses and trying different drugs in different combinations on until they found a combination that seemed effective.

This “trial-and-error” approach was not based in genetic science, and it sometimes lead to some patients taking too much, or too little of the medicine they need.

In the worst cases , their prescriptions actually harmed the patients rather than helping them.

You can now know how your body is going to respond to many commonly prescribed medications even before taking them.

In many cases people over 65 years of age who take multiple drugs face even greater risk of having a serious drug-related side effects.

Learn more about yourself and the precise dose needed for each medication for the rest of your life.

The enzymes that are affected by our genes belong to a larger family called CYP450.

These enzymes are extremely important and the effect they have on drugs can suddenly change how a medicine is metabolized - or naturally eliminated from the body.

A normal-metabolizing enzyme can generally break down standard doses of a drug. The recommended dosage of medications assumes the patient is a normal metabolizer. But in the US more than 90% of the population share genetic variations that may affect on how a drug is metabolized.

An intermediate-metabolizing enzyme is considered to be less active. It doesn’t break down a drug as completely as a normal metabolizer, which means you might require a lower dose. A lower dose prevents the unmetabolized drug from building up in your body and possibly causing side effects.

A poor-metabolizing enzyme has very low activity. It is possible to have side effects even with a very low drug dose, because the drug lasts a long time in your body before it is eliminated.

These enzymes are very active, often breaking down drugs before they can have any useful effect. If you metabolize a drug in this way, you may require a higher dose or more frequent doses for the drug to work properly.

Learn more about yourself and how your body responds to medications.

Taking the CYP450 test is very simple.

Your doctor will use a cotton swab to take a sample from your cheek.

You can get your test results from your Doctor or other qualified Medical Provider such as a Genetic Counselor.

CYP450 genotyping is covered by most private insurers and by Medicare in specific instances. Visit the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Local Coverage Determination for CYP450. —- For more information about this test, or if you or your doctor have any questions please email us at: info@firmalab.com