🧠 Smarter Medications, Fewer Medications Modern Psychiatry at Alchemy Institute in Greensboro

Mental health care is changing

Today, treatment focuses on two powerful ideas:

• 🎯 Precision prescribing (choosing the right medication for you)

• ⚖️ Medication simplification (using only what you actually need)

At Alchemy Institute, we combine both to help you feel better with less trial-and-error and fewer side effects.

🧬 What Is Precision Psychiatry (PGx Testing)?

Pharmacogenomic testing (PGx) is a simple test (usually saliva or cheek swab) that looks at how your body processes medications.

👉 It can help answer:

• Will this medication work for me?

• Will I need a higher or lower dose?

• Am I more likely to have side effects?

💡 Why it matters:

Not everyone responds to medications the same way, your genetics play a role.

⚖️ What Is Deprescribing?

Deprescribing means safely reducing or stopping medications that may no longer be helpful.

This is especially important if you:

• 💊 Take multiple medications

• 😴 Feel overly sedated or “foggy”

• ⚖️ Have unwanted side effects

• 📉 Aren’t seeing clear benefits

👉 The goal is simple:Feel better with fewer medications — not more.

🔄 Why We Combine Both Approaches

These aren’t competing ideas, they work best together.

At Alchemy Institute, we use:

• 🧬 PGx testing → to guide better medication choices

• 🔽 Deprescribing → to reduce unnecessary medications

👉 This helps:

• Reduce side effects

• Avoid medication “guesswork”

• Improve overall outcomes

🚨 Why Medication Overload Matters

Many patients are on multiple medications.

This can increase risk for:

• 🚶 Falls

• 🧠 Memory problems

• 😵 Sedation or fatigue

• 🏥 Hospital visits

👉 Simplifying your medication plan can significantly improve quality of life.

🧠 What PGx Can (and Can’t) Do

✅ It CAN:

• Guide antidepressant and medication selection

• Help explain side effects

• Support safer medication changes

⚠️ It DOES NOT:

• Guarantee a medication will work

• Replace clinical judgment

• Eliminate the need for monitoring

👉 We use PGx as one tool but not the only tool.

🔁 Why Medication Changes Need Careful Planning

When adjusting medications, your body can react in unexpected ways.

This is because of:

• 🔄 Drug interactions

• 🧬 Genetics

• ⚖️ Dose changes

• 🧠 Brain chemistry adjustments

👉 That’s why we never rush medication changes.

😴 Special Focus: Benzodiazepines (Like Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin)

These medications can be helpful short-term, but long-term use may cause:

• Dependence

• Memory issues

• Increased anxiety over time

• Withdrawal symptoms

🛑 Important:

We never do rapid or forced tapers.

Instead, we offer:

• 📉 Gradual, personalized taper plans

• 🤝 Ongoing support

• 🧠 Alternative treatments for anxiety

👤 Is This Approach Right for You?

You may benefit if you:

• Have tried multiple medications without success

• Experience side effects or feel overmedicated

• Want a more personalized treatment plan

• Are interested in reducing medications safely

• Feel “stuck” in your current care

🤝 What Care Looks Like at Alchemy Institute

We provide integrative, personalized psychiatry in Greensboro:

• 🧠 Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation

• 🧬 Optional pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing

• 💊 Medication optimization & deprescribing

• 📊 Ongoing monitoring and support

• 💻 Telehealth & in-person visits

👉 Every plan is tailored to you, not a template.

🌟 What This Means for You

• 🎯 More precise medication choices

• ⚖️ Fewer unnecessary medications

• 😌 Less side effects, more clarity

• 🔄 A treatment plan that evolves with you

📞 Ready to Simplify Your Mental Health Care?

If your current medications aren’t working, or you’re taking too many, we can help.

👉 You deserve a plan that makes sense.👉 You deserve to feel like yourself again.

Contact Alchemy Institute today to schedule your consultation.