How Can Pharmacogenomics (PGx) Help People With Pain Management?

What is Pain Management?
Pain, whether acute or chronic, can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. Acute pain emerges suddenly in response to tissue damage or injury, serving as a protective mechanism to alert the body to potential harm. Acute pain commonly arises from surgeries, trauma, or infections and is usually localised to the site of injury. It may be accompanied by inflammation, swelling, redness, and tenderness and it typically resolves as the body heals.

Chronic pain, on the other hand, persists beyond the expected healing time and can last for weeks, months, or even years. Common conditions associated with chronic pain include arthritis, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, migraines, back pain, and complex regional pain syndrome. The pain may be constant or intermittent and can affect multiple areas of the body. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain serves no protective function and can require comprehensive, long-term management approaches.
Pain management encompasses a range of interventions aimed at alleviating or reducing an individual’s discomfort and improving overall well-being. It involves addressing various aspects of pain, including its underlying causes, severity, duration, and impact on daily functioning. Effective pain management strategies may include medications, physical therapies, psychological interventions, lifestyle modifications, and complementary therapies tailored to each individual’s unique needs.
What medicines are usually taken to manage pain?

Medication can be used to offer patients relief from a wide range of painful conditions. Some pain-relief medications can be obtained without a prescription or over-the-counter (OTC), whereas others are prescribed by a healthcare professional.
Common pain relievers include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen and Naproxen, Paracetamol, opioids like Tramadol, Oxycodone and Codeine for moderate to severe pain, antidepressants, neuroleptics, anticonvulsants, and muscle relaxants. Additionally, topical creams, patches, and injections may be used for localised pain relief.

You can see which analgesics, antidepressants and neuroleptics are included in the Mantara PGx Test here.
What are the common side effects of pain relief medicines?
While pain relief medicines can provide significant relief, they may also be associated with various side effects. Some of these potential side effects are listed below. Please note, this is not a full list of potential side effects. Please speak to a health professional if you have any concerns about potential side effects.

NSAIDs

• Damage to internal organs, such as the liver or kidneys
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Heart problems
• Hypersensitivity response
• Nausea or gastrointestinal discomfort
• Heartburn
• Ringing in the ears, or even deafness
• Stomach ulcers
• Trouble forming clots in the blood, which can lead to excessive bleeding
  Opioids

• Constipation
• Drowsiness
• Nausea
• Respiratory depression
• The risk of dependence or addiction with long-term use
  Antidepressants

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Weight gain
• Sexual dysfunction

What is Pharmacogenomics?
Our DNA affects how our bodies respond to medicine. Not all medications are universally effective: some only work on a minority of individuals, some require adjusted dosages, and others carry the risk of unwanted side effects.

Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing allows healthcare professionals to write personalised prescriptions and determine optimal dosages based on an individual’s DNA, maximising the likelihood of effectiveness, and minimising the risk of adverse reactions.

How Can Pharmacogenomics (PGx) Help?
Pharmacogenomics (PGx) can optimise pain management strategies by providing personalised insights into how individuals respond to medications based on their genetic makeup. PGx testing can identify genetic variations that influence drug metabolism, efficacy, and susceptibility to adverse effects.

For example, variations in genes encoding drug-metabolising enzymes such as CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 can impact how individuals metabolise opioids, antidepressants and neuroleptics, affecting their response and tolerance to these medications.

By integrating PGx data into clinical decision-making, healthcare professionals can tailor pain management approaches, optimise medication selection and dosing, minimise adverse effects, and improve treatment outcomes for individuals with chronic or acute pain conditions.

You can see which analgesics, antidepressants and neuroleptics are included in the Mantara PGx Test here.

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