Latuda

I've been taking Latuda for almost two months. I started out taking 40 mg. for 10 days and then my psychiatrist gave me 80 mg. to take. 40 mg. wasn't hard to take, but 80 mg. is more challenging. I think it's a good medication, as far as antipsychotics go, but learning the best time to take it was tricky for me. It makes me feel good during the day if I take it at night.  I tried to take it during the day at least 8 times, and each time I felt terrible. A couple of hours after taking it, it became hard to focus, concentrate, and do work. It also made me feel anxious.

The reason that I struggled with what time to take it is that it is supposed to be taken with 350 calories in order to be absorbed properly. That is a small meal, and I'm trying to lose weight. I tried taking it with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and that bad feeling came on after a few hours and I knew I couldn't tolerate it at those times. The only other time left is later at night, close to my bedtime. If I take it at night I feel good the next day. It doesn't help with sleep, so I'm taking 200 mg of Seroquel  for that purpose, with the goal of slowly cutting that dose down. My psychiatrist believes that I need an antipsychotic along with my mood stabilizers, and I have found that if I take Latuda at night, I feel energetic during the day and tend to ruminate less and I also feel less anxious. But, if I take it any time before bedtime I have a very negative experience. So, I've been taking it at night with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after dinner, and I'm trying to eat less during the day to make up for what feels like an indulgence, although it's necessary.

The most challenging part of my treatment for bipolar disorder has been deciding which antipsychotic to take. The closest second to Latuda that I have tried is Seroquel. Seroquel helped me to sleep at night, and made me feel calm, but it is very sedating when taken during the day, and also caused quite a bit of weight gain when taken at higher doses. So, for now, my regimen is 200 mg. Lamictal, 1200 mg. Trileptal, 80 mg. Latuda, and 200 mg. Seroquel.

Latuda is very expensive, and that makes me nervous. If I ever lost my Extra Help with Medicare, I would not be able to afford it and would have to take something else, and I think that would be Seroquel. It would definitely be an adjustment.

14 comments:

  1. It is so damn tricky to figure out the best times to take it. Trial and error. Always trial and error. I hate taking them during the day so my psychiatrist says to take them PRN. I never do. They knock me out at the knees. Like I also need to function.
    I do not take Latuda, although I have read a lot about it. I currently take Zyprexa which is also notorious for weight gain...which one isn't...and I have to be careful with what I eat...which now spawned an obsession with weight...just perfect.
    I'm not sure if you experience paranoia, but the zyprexa does nothing to control that for me. If you do have paranoia, do you find that the Latuda works for you?

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    1. I haven't had paranoia in a long time. I never had a lot of it, I only had it during severe episodes. I have had strong paranoia before but it has never been a daily struggle. I do struggle with worry and I still do even though I am taking Latuda. Exercise helps me a lot with staying calm.

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  2. I don’t mean to be sarcastic, but why can’t your doctors tell you what, when and how to take medications that’ll do you good. I can’t help but get this feeling you’re left to decide for yourself. They’re the experts!

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    1. Psychiatry is not an exact science. I have been a patient since 1989 and have had several psychiatrists. I have learned that it is really not one size fits all. They don't know what works and how it will affect the patient until they try it. Everyone responds to medication differently. There is a lot of trial and error involved. It is frustrating. I wish there were something that worked well and worked the same for everyone with bipolar disorder. The biggest problem I have found is dealing with side effects like sedation and weight gain.

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  3. I just started taking Latuda...I have been having severe depression the past few months...do you find that it helps with your mood overall?

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  4. It has been a while since I wrote this post. I have found that Latuda helps me during the day, and seems to help with depression, but it also seems to interfere with my sleep and my weight loss efforts. However, medication affects everyone differently. How you feel is most important. Pay close attention to how you feel. It may be helpful to keep a mood diary. At this point, I think my favorite antipsychotic has been Seroquel but many people have problems with Seroquel. Again, medication affects everyone differently. I know it can be frustrating to go through the trial and error of finding the best medication. I have been trying different medications for the past 25 years. I'm going to ask my psychiatrist if I can take 200 mg. Lamictal, 1200 mg. Trileptal, and 200 mg. Seroquel as that seems to be the cocktail that has worked the best for me. I have come to this conclusion after paying very close attention to how I feel with the different medications. I'm planning to write a blog post about it after I have my next appointment with my psychiatrist. I am going to say that I would add Latuda if I got really depressed, but I would rather not take it every day because of the problems with losing weight and sleep. This is the best answer that I can give you at this point. I

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  5. Anonymous11/14/2015

    Latuda seems to work very well for me I am taking 40mg and have took 80mg before I think i only need 20mg giving me the thought that less is more for me

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  6. I'm glad that it's working well for you. My psychiatrist was adamant that I needed a higher dose. I felt better on the lower doses when I was ramping up though. I have a new psychiatrist now, but I am afraid to change my current cocktail as it is working very well aside from the fact that I really have to fight weight gain.

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  7. They just upped my latuda to 40mg and after I take it I feel like I have to be doing something like im speeding it's only been 4 days is it something I'll get used to?? My sleep is being effected right now so I do not wanna take it at night I would probably be up all night?

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    1. I had a hard time with Latuda because it affected my sleep and I also felt very restless. I ended up going back to Seroquel. I really hoped it would work, but it didn't work well for me. Just stay in touch with your doctor. It is important to make changes slowly and with your doctor's support.

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  8. Anonymous6/25/2016

    How does anyone afford Latuda? $800.00 for a months supply. I have Blue cross Blue Shield.

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  9. I have BSBS and it was a nightmare getting it. It needed a pre approval from my doctor. Once it's conceded it was still $135. Go on their website and there's a savings card. It knocked it down to $70. When I had United Healthcare it was only $15 with the savings card. So I would definitely take advantage of that. :) I was on Latuda when it first came out and didn't have any side effects. My sleep has been bad since I was first diagnosed with Bipolar. Interestingly one of the nurse practitioners actually said it would help with sleep? I went off Latuda around 6 months ago and am now unable to sleep, p doc thinks it's hypomania, so I'm back on it. Hoping everything will be figured it bc I miss sleep! Was on Zyprexa and Seroquel in the last and ate everything in site. I'm hoping Latuda will be a good experience.

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  10. My pdoc is switching me from Seroquel-Lithium-Latuda to Lamictal-lithium-Latuda, calling it the new "magic triple-L." Has anyone tried this and if so, what happens?

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    1. I have heard other people speak of that. I can't take Lithium or Latuda anymore because of side effects. I hope it is going well for you!

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