If you have symptoms of schizophrenia and depressive bipolar, your doctor may prescribe Latuda, which is used in alleviating them. However, you should note that just like any other medications, there are Latuda side effects, which you should be aware of them so that you can take action before the Latuda side effects adversely affect you. You should note that you may harm yourself as there is a likelihood that Latuda causes suicidal thoughts.
This article highlights the Latuda side effects you should note while having to take Latuda.
What Is Latuda?
Latuda is the brand name for the drug lurasidone used in treating the symptoms of schizophrenia and depressive bipolar. The drug is classified under a class of medicines referred to as antipsychotics. It helps patients to think more clearly and feel less nervous and once taken it may reduce hallucinations. The drug also improves energy, appetite sleep, and mood levels.
The drug is FDA approved and is manufactured by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals. The approval of the drug was made in 2010. It is a psychiatric medication that helps restore the balance of some specific natural substances in the brain. There is no generic version of the medication.
How to Use Latuda
You should first read the medication guide provided by the pharmacist before taking lurasidone and whenever you get a refill. In case you have questions, be sure to ask your pharmacist or doctor. The drug is taken orally with food as directed by your physician, usually once daily. The dosage is usually based on your medical condition, other medications you might take, and response to the treatment. Therefore, tell your pharmacist or doctor about all the products you are using, such as herbal products, non-prescription drugs, and prescription drugs.
You should take the drug regularly to get the most benefit. However, note that the medication is taken at the same time daily. You should continue taking the medication according to the prescription even when you start to feel better and thinking more clearly. You should also not increase or decrease the dosage to take the medicating more or less than the prescribed dosage.
You should note that your symptoms do not improve faster if you do this and instead you are exposing yourself to unwanted side effects. In addition, you should not stop taking the medication without consulting your physician. When taking the drug, you should not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice unless your physician says otherwise. This is because grapefruit increases the chance of getting adverse side effects when taking this medication. You should ask your pharmacist or doctor for more details.
In addition, also inform your doctor if the condition you have does not improve or whenever it worsens. However, note that it may take a couple of weeks before you feel the full benefit of Latuda.
Can Children Take Latuda?
The safety and effectiveness of the medication are yet to be tested for patients aged below 18 years. Therefore, you need to talk to the child’s doctor pertaining to the risks and Latuda side effects. However, note that Latuda should not be taken by children aged under 18.
Latuda Dosage
The starting dosage is typically 40 mg for treating schizophrenia among adults. This is taken daily. The dosage does not exceed 120 mg on a daily basis.
Ineligibility of Taking Latuda
You need to talk to your doctor if you have any other underlying medical conditions before starting Latuda. These conditions include seizures, heart conditions, stroke, dementia, diabetes, neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), and tardive dyskinesia.
What Condition Does It Treat?
Bipolar Depression and Schizophrenia
Latuda is used for treating mood and mental disorders, such as bipolar depression and schizophrenia. Bipolar depression refers to the “lows” or the depressive phase of bipolar disorder. Bipolar depression is part of the larger condition known as the bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia is a disorder that negatively affects an individual’s capability of speaking, feeling, and behaving clearly.
Once a person takes Latuda, it helps the patient to feel less nervous, think more clearly, and take part in everyday life. It also decreases hallucinations, which entails hearing and seeing things that are not there. The medication helps improve your energy, appetite, mood, and sleep levels for people with mental disorders.
Latuda is approved for treating depression that is experienced during depressive bipolar disorder episodes, but not manic episodes. Note that your doctor may prescribe Latuda alone for your depressive episodes or a combination of drugs like Lithium.
Warnings of Using Latuda
You should note that Latuda is not approved by the FDA for treating older adults with dementia, and the FDA requires that the drug should carry a black-box warning against its use for the elderly. In addition, studies have established that older adults with dementia are at a risk of death when they take antipsychotics like Latuda and a greater likelihood of suffering from a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke.
Latuda may alter your mental health is unanticipated ways, and some people may even experience suicidal thoughts when they take this drug. In this case, the caregiver should contact your doctor immediately before killing or harming yourself. Before starting Latuda medication, tell your doctor if you ever had the following conditions.
- Heart disease, chest pain, or a heart attack
- A stroke or TIA
- Seizures
- Irregular heartbeat
- Parkinson's disease
- Breast cancer
- Low or high blood pressure
- Dementia or Alzheimer's disease
- High cholesterol
- Difficulty in swallowing
- High blood sugar
- Low white blood cell count
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
- Diabetes
Good & Bad Side Effects
Good Latuda Side Effects
Latuda treats mood and mental disorders, and more particularly, bipolar depression and schizophrenia. Once taken, it helps the patient to feel less nervous, think more clearly, and take part in everyday life. It also decreases hallucinations, which entails hearing and seeing things that are not there. The medication helps improve your energy, appetite, mood, and sleep levels.
Common Side Effects
You need to inform your doctor if you develop any of the following side effects or if they do not go away:
- Agitation, anxiety, or restlessness
- Breast swelling
- Drowsiness
- Shaking
- Tiredness
- weight gain
- Weakness
- Diarrhea
- Shuffling walk or slow movements
- Stomach pain
- Uncontrollable shaking of a part of your body
- Mask-like facial expression
- Difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep
- Missed menstrual periods,
- Vomiting or nausea
- Inability to keep still
- Breast enlargement or discharge
- Blurred vision
- Increased saliva
- Muscle stiffness
- A late or missed menstrual period
- Decreased sexual ability or impotence.
- Loss of appetite
Serious Side Effects of Latuda
You need to call your doctor immediately once you start experiencing any of the symptoms that have been listed in the Latuda Warnings section or any of the following serious side effects.
- Hoarseness
- Seizures
- Orthostatic hypotension and syncope
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling of your throat, face, lips, tongue, hands, eyes, ankles, feet, or lower legs
- Leukopenia, neutropenia, and agranulocytosis
- Difficulty in swallowing or breathing
- Suicidal thoughts and behaviors
- Abnormal heartbeat
- Adverse neurological reactions Parkinson’s patients
- Sweating, fever, severe muscle stiffness, or confusion
- A sore throat, chills, or a cough
- Motor impairment
- Body Temperature Dysregulation
- Unusual body or facial movements that you cannot control
- Activation of mania/hypomania
- Increased mortality among the elderly
- Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- Metabolic Changes
- Hyperprolactinemia
- Falls
Latuda Interactions
You should inform your doctor if you are taking recreational, illegal, non-prescription, and prescription drugs, nutritional and dietary supplements, and herbal remedies. In addition, there are many medications that interact with Latuda in a mild, moderate, and major ways. You should let your doctor know whether you are taking any more medications prior to beginning your dosage.
Some of these medications include:
- Rifampin (Rimactane, Rifadin, in Rifater, in Rifamate,)
- Ketoconazole (Nizoral)
- Antihistamines
- Antidepressants
- Clarithromycin (Biaxin, in Prevpac)
- Carbamazepine (Epitol, Carbatrol, Tegretol, Equetro, Teril)
- Erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab)
- Indinavir (Crixivan)
- Diltiazem (Cartia, Cardizem, Taztia, Dilacor, Tiazac)
- Itraconazole (Sporanox)
- Sedatives
- Ipratropium (Atrovent, in Combivent, in Duoneb)
- Sleeping pills
- Medications to control anxiety
- Tranquilizers
- Medications for inflammatory bowel disease, glaucoma, myasthenia gravis, motion sickness, Parkinson's disease, urinary problems, or ulcers
- Ritonavir (Norvir)
- Medications to control blood pressure
- Nelfinavir (Viracept)
- Nefazodone (Dutonin, Serzone, Nefadar)
- Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
- Phenobarbital
- Pioglitazone (in Duetact, Actos, in Actoplus Met)
- St. John's Wort
- Rifabutin (Mycobutin)
- Verapamil (Covera, Calan, Isoptin, Verelan, in Tarka)
Latuda Side Effects of Alcohol
Taking alcohol while taking Latuda causes drowsiness. You should never drink alcohol while taking Latuda.
Latuda and Grapefruit
Consuming grapefruit juice or grapefruit while taking Latuda increases the risks of side effects. Tal to your physician pertaining to the potential of this interaction.
Latuda and Other Interactions
Latuda may make you feel drowsy. In addition, never operate machinery or drive a car until you are certain about how the drugs might affect you.
Conclusion
Latuda side effects are adverse, which implies that you should note them. In addition, you should know which drugs should not be taken along with Latuda. The article has highlighted those medications. In addition, you should not take Latuda with grapefruit of grapefruit juice. If you note or your caregiver notes any of these side effects, ensure that you contact your doctor immediately. We hope that this article has provided the vital information you will take note about Latuda side effects and take the necessary measures.
It is very difficult for me to understand how Latuda would ever be beneficial in any but the absolute most extreme edge case scenarios. Of course since current law prohibits legal recourse for patients that experience issues which are ‘known to occur’ with Latuda, there is a temptation to ‘blame the patient’. That said, I honestly doubt many patients would opt for Latuda if not for all of the advertising and tacit endorsement by subscribing Doctors.
My wife was prescribed this poison despite the fact that she was already on an anti-depressant, a sleeping pill and a drug to treat anxiety (all listed above as potentially causing adverse interactions with Latuda). We have subsequently been able to wean her off of everything (including Latuda) except for a low dose of her anti depressant and a very low dosage of clonazepam and she is doing better than she has in twenty years.
If you are prescribed Latuda I would strongly urge you to get a second opinion, taking Latuda is playing with fire and you will likely have zero legal recourse if you experience any of the ‘known’ symptoms.