Unraveling the Link Between High Sensitivity and Medication Sensitivity

You, a Highly Sensitive Person ( HSP ), have an appointment with your family doctor. As soon as the doctor writes you a prescription for a medication, you become very anxious. You know that, based on your past history, this medication will most likely cause an Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR). According to the World Health Organization, an Adverse Drug Reaction is a response to a medicine which is harmful and unintended. Adverse drug reactions also tend to happen at normal doses and during normal use. This means that you could be taking a medication like you should and still experience a bad reaction. In the past, you have found that your illness symptoms usually improve after you use just half of the normally prescribed dose of most medications. However, you are worried about halving your dose. The pharmacist’s instructions specifically stated that breaking open a capsule of medication could affect how it was absorbed by your body.

In a ground-breaking series of studies, my colleagues and I have unveiled a significant association between Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), the term used for HSP in the academic research, and medication sensitivity. The studies shed light on the intricate interplay between individual traits and responses to medication. These findings have far-reaching implications for the field of personalized and precision medicine, where the focus is on identifying which approaches will be effective for which patients based on genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.

The studies, conducted by a team led by Dr. Arthur Aron of Stony Brook University in New York, offer a pioneering exploration into the relationship between SPS—a temperament trait characterized by heightened reactivity to environmental stimuli—and individual differences in medication sensitivity. The findings, published on Jan 16, 2024, in Frontiers in Psychology, mark a significant contribution to the understanding of how medication affects individuals with high sensory processing sensitivity. In an era where personalized medicine is gaining prominence, these discoveries pave the way for more targeted and effective treatment strategies, not only for HSPs, but for anyone who may have genetic or metabolic sensitivity, whether inborn or acquired e.g. stroke survivors.

The researchers employed a meticulous methodology across three distinct studies, involving diverse participant groups, differing in age and gender distribution, from university samples and online platforms. Participants completed questionnaires including the standard Highly Sensitive Person ( HSP ) Scale to assess SPS, a medication sensitivity scale, as well as a scale to assess negative emotionality (NA).

In all three studies, the higher a study participant’s HSP score the more intense their reactions to medications, providing valuable insights for the prescription and administration of medication in clinical settings. This relationship between SPS and medication sensitivity remained the same for both men and women. Specifically, the results establish that the higher a study participant’s HSP scale score, the more intense were their reactions to medication, i.e. their agreement with statements such as “I usually have stronger reactions to medicines than most people.”  This pattern remained the same for adverse drug reactions. Specifically, the higher a study participant’s HSP scale score, the more likely they were to agree with the statement “I have had bad reaction to medicines in the past.”  Participants with higher HSP scale scores were also more likely to agree that “Even very small amounts of medicine can upset my body.” Such intense reactions to small amounts of medication suggest that individuals high in SPS may receive the same benefit from a low dose of medication as a less-sensitive individual receives from a typically recommended dose.

The study not only identifies increased sensitivity to medication in individuals high in SPS but also offers insights into tailoring medication approaches for highly sensitive individuals in general. Specifically, SPS might be important to investigate in future research and practice when considering medication dosage, medication effectiveness, and adverse drug reactions. Study findings mark a pivotal step toward more personalized and effective medical interventions. Beyond its primary role in understanding individual differences in sensory processing, the HSP scale exhibits promising potential for screening all patients for medication sensitivity, thereby enhancing patient safety and care. 

According to Jadzia Jagiellowicz, Phd, first author of the study, a possible future scenario would be one where an individual could be triaged for SPS even before seeing their doctor. Depending on their HSP Scale score, the doctor would know to prescribe a smaller dose of medication than was typically recommended.

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If you have physical symptoms that you find distressing, or would like help with common Highly Sensitive Person issues ( overwhelm, boundary setting, burnout, anxiety, depression ), feel free to contact me for a free 20-min consultation to discuss your issue and see if my services are a good fit for you.