Lurasidone for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• Fri...
• May 20, 2017

"Latuda is the fastest-acting drug for bipolar depression I've experienced, without side effects. I was frankly dubious about ever finding anything that would work. Dr. prescribed it as an add-on to Lamictal, which is a slow-acting drug. I took Latuda at 5 PM and the next day, I was feeling noticeably better. On my 3rd day, I feel better than yesterday. If all goes well, this could be a miracle drug for me, even though it's too soon to know. It's been months after a mania episode that I've wound down to a depressed state that is not severe but has been constant, where I can't even remember the path to a thought pattern that isn't guilty, hopeless, or without pleasure. I've regained a peace of mind required to get therapeutic learned skills."

• Eye...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2014

"Diagnosed 20 years ago with bipolar 1. Struggled for years to try and manage depression with Paxil and anti-anxiety meds. The ups and downs were absolutely wearing me out! Finally, Latuda was advised by my therapist for my psych to prescribe. 8 days in and I feel almost normal! I say 'almost' since there is that little uncertainty with any new medicine that it will have staying power. So far, so good!"

• Lan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 30, 2020

"I was prescribed this medication to treat bipolar depression. At first, it seemed to improve the mood swings, but from day one, I experienced severe akathisia and anxiety. I would take it at night, and every time I did, it would ruin my night. I tried to be patient with it for months, but it ultimately landed me in the ER with the first panic attack I've ever had in my life. Even the ER told me to stop taking it immediately. I'm glad I did, as I've felt much better since being off of it and trying something else. It's also insanely expensive, which makes it even more frustrating."

• Anonymous
• August 17, 2016

"I started Latuda about a month ago. So far, I feel amazing. My negative thoughts (voices in my head) are not gone but more positive and not so attacking. I haven't had any urges in my body to yell, scream, or cry for no reason. I haven't yet popped off quickly like I did before, I have no feeling to even be upset. I'm feeling as if I've let go of all the bad energy I had inside me. I'm a lot more tired and restless, I'm sure I will get more used to it later, but it's helped me not wake up in a panic like I did every day before. I would truly recommend it to anyone who just wants to figure out who they truly are, someone who wants consistency with themselves, if that makes sense? I love the person I am now, and I hope to keep feeling this way. Good luck."

• ari...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2014

"Although I am totally stable on this medication, feel great, in fact, I have gained weight (40 pounds to be exact). I take 40 mg for about two months now. I'd give it a 10 but for the weight gain (I've never been overweight in my life!) which is driving me crazy, especially since my appetite is way down. My doctor is adding Wellbutrin to it. I am bipolar II. I've been on almost everything else, had bad side effects, especially on Abilify. Good luck. I had hoped to lose weight, but it looks like I'm predisposed to weight gain."

• Dee...
• November 12, 2016

"I am 58, with a diagnosis received over 15 years ago. I have tried several antidepressants and antianxiety medications with little if any relief. Upon expressing frustration with my doctor, it was suggested to try Latuda. I am on day 8 of 20 mg. Almost immediately felt calmer, clearer thinking, interest in my forgotten enjoyments. I am in good health physically. So far, no signs of any side effects and no weight gain at all (I gain weight easily) and gained over 20 lbs over the years using Celexa and other antidepressants. My diagnosis was changed after 14 years to bipolar 1, same doctor all these years. I was afraid of medicines, but deep depression forced me to try again. I'm happy so far with Latuda. Good luck and God bless."

• sco...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 27, 2013

"Began taking 20mg Latuda daily about ten days ago. About five days ago I noticed that I'm a lot less anxious - a lot less 'catastrophizing' - think more clearly, most definitely happier. My appetite is back as well. Suffering far less psychomotor retardation. Actually feel motivated to do some things! Genuine laughter! Also taking Aplenzin 522mg daily. Best I've felt in recent memory. It's my experience only."

• Jos...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2019

"Take Latuda at night before sleep! I've only been taking it for a week, but the first few days were extremely uncomfortable with massive drowsiness. Until I took it at night, and then I really had no drowsiness during the day, which was a game changer for me. I got to be productive again. I hope the med works out for me, but I just wanted to share that right away as it really helped me."

• tif...
• September 22, 2015

"For anyone sitting on the fence about Latuda, please give it a try. It's new and has the least side effects. After trying Geodon, Tegretol, Abilify, and others this past year, including one other that suddenly caused hair loss as a side effect (plus it really wasn't the best), I tried Latuda. The first week I felt confused, etc. So I stopped taking it in less than a week. I am medication sensitive big time, everyone suggested I try again for one month, and I did. The confusion and forgetfulness passed in a week's time, and after a month, there were no side effects. I began to be my old self finally after two years. I'm happy and feel great. No anxiety or depression now. Very clear and focused, and not forgetful. Concentration is great. 20 mg PM. Cymbalta AM 60 mg. Hope I helped."

• Ssa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 8, 2019

"I began taking Latuda several years ago, and it has been the best treatment for my bipolar depression. It keeps my mood up without causing mania. However, the key for me was in the dosing. I have always been more sensitive to drugs than other people, side effects are stronger, some drugs knock me out, and with surgeries, anesthesia always makes me vomit, etc. I take 40 mg of Latuda, and it works best. My doctor increased it to 60 mg because it's closer to the 'therapeutic dose.' That was too much for me. I was jittery, couldn't sit still, felt like racing in my chest, it was a strange sensation. But when I went back down to 40 mg, I was fine, and it's enough to treat my mood. If you're like me, be careful of taking too much and find a doctor who is willing to listen about lowering doses. It works so well for me, my doctor gives me samples since I can't afford the high copays."

• Rox...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 2, 2023

"24F. I started having depression symptoms at 11 years old and hypomania at 16 years old. I had a pretty textbook case of rapid cycling bipolar 2. I started taking Latuda 20 mg at 18 years old as a monotherapy. It was the first antipsychotic I tried. Since then, I have had no more depression or hypomania, and I still have my personality. There have been no side effects that I’m aware of, except maybe a decrease in sex drive that didn’t kick in until 6 months in. I’ve been on Latuda 20 mg for over 6 years now, and I plan to happily take it forever. One year ago, I added Buspar 15 mg for anxiety. Other anxiety meds I tried over the years (SSRI, SNRI, NDRI) were able to trigger hypomania, but I stabilized after discontinuing them. I would recommend a low dose of Latuda to other people with a textbook case of bipolar 2 as I have. I take it at night. It works best with dinner, 2 hours before bed."

• Jen...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 4, 2023

"I have bipolar 2 but was misdiagnosed with major depression for over 20 years. I underwent major stress during that time and tried many meds for depression and bipolar. I was having obsessive suicidal ideation. I was put on Latuda, and it didn't work. Over time, I got more and more lethargic. I was emotionally numb, didn't talk, and couldn't think or remember. I basically did nothing for years. I can't remember exactly how long I was a zombie, but it was at least three years. I've been off the medication for a year. I no longer have suicidal ideation, but I still have minimal emotions, low motivation, no creative inspiration to paint, less emotional connection to music, less interest in hobbies I used to have, much less appetite, both for food and sex. My memory is bad, and though I used to have a 130 IQ, I have trouble thinking and understanding things I used to get. I lost years of my life and aspects of myself and my personality that I'm not sure will ever come back."

• sob...
• May 7, 2014

"I was diagnosed five years ago as being bipolar and long-term Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have taken many medicines. I felt so much better when adding Latuda that I went from 80 mg to 120 mg. I totally crashed. I was extremely depressed. I went off the medicine for six weeks. I started again taking 80 mg. I have been stable for five weeks. I also take lithium, Xanax, and Klonopin. I stay on a strict schedule of exercise. I am taking it day by day. This is one of my most expensive medicines."

• Jeg...
• April 13, 2014

"I've had mostly positives with it. I do have some difficulty moving quickly at the gym because it causes dizziness, but this is a small inconvenience. It does raise my sugar, but weight loss counteracts this. It is really expensive, so I'm glad my insurance pays for it."

• Lyd...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 22, 2015

"I switched from Seroquel to Latuda 5 days ago. INSTANT IMPROVEMENT! My sweet cravings are gone, I can exercise again, and I don't feel like a slug at work. I have only one complaint: the nausea is pretty bad, I've almost thrown up a couple of times, but right now, the pros outweigh the cons. Hopefully, the nausea will subside after a while. I'll update in a month."

• Tj2...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2013

"Been on 20mg for only 2 weeks now and have noticed a good improvement in my mood. My dose has now been upped to 40 mg once a day. This drug so far has worked better than any antidepressant I have taken (Wellbutrin, Prozac, Effexor XR, Mirtazapine) and better than any antipsychotic I have taken (Zyprexa, Risperidone, Thorazine, Seroquel). All antipsychotics I have taken so far have caused weight gain EXCEPT THIS ONE. Since taking it for 2 weeks, I have LOST 3 lbs without any major exercise, BUT I have dropped calorie intake to around 1000-1200 a day. The only negative side effect I have had is staying asleep for longer than 5-6 hrs. I also have social anxiety, but this medication hasn't helped with that (so far, if possible). Highly recommend."

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2023

"I’m going to be honest, I started taking Latuda with low expectations. I tried to keep an open mind, but I had just been taken off of 'the dream child mood drug,' Lamictal, due to an allergic reaction. I felt hopeless. Well, I’m here to tell you that I’m not sure if Lamictal would have worked for me, but Latuda sure does! My moods used to be up, down, up, down, etc. Before Latuda, I’d wake up and have no idea how I was going to feel. I could be feeling 'high' or 'happy,' and then 5 minutes later be profusely crying. I’ve always struggled with mood issues, but things were getting progressively worse, month by month. The highs were fun but scary because I was making poor choices AND I knew that the hypomanic state would end, and I would be immediately hit with the horrible depression. Anyway, this past month of Latuda, I have felt FINE. Almost GOOD. Stable. I’m so appreciative and grateful. My mind feels so much better. So so so much better."

• BP1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 23, 2016

"For me, Latuda is the best drug available, and so far, I've lost 25 lbs. My emotions are in check, paranoia and hallucinations are gone. I feel real and as close to normal as I've been in a really, really long time. Other than a slight tremor, I've noticed no other side effects. I'd highly recommend trying this medication."

• Bip...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2016

"I've been taking Latuda for about 3 months now for Bipolar II disorder. At first, I started out at 20 mg and gradually increased to 80 mg. I was in a deep depression, so even within weeks of taking Latuda, I didn't feel that much better. Once my doc switched me to 80 mg, I slowly started climbing out of my depression. It was a slow recovery, but it worked. I am now 80% depression-symptom free, and I feel like I'm back to my old self. I am able to function much better at work and life in general. I had restlessness as a side effect for some time, but it slowly went away. I usually take Latuda before bedtime and haven't experienced any other side effects."

• csp...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 9, 2015

"I have just started Latuda, and I am so happy with it (I will update after I've been on it for a while). I switched from Olanzapine, and the difference is incredible. Olanzapine had me feeling groggy and tired. Latuda, from day one, has had my brain feeling clear, and I've had my energy back! My apartment is finally clean, and I'm not losing everything all the time (seriously - I lost my phone daily before). The only 'side effect' is that I am super drowsy when I take it, which has to be with dinner, so the whole night I'm tired. I see this as a positive because I used to be up all night on Olanzapine. Plus, I wake up in the morning, and I'm wide awake! Latuda has been amazing!"

• Amy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2020

"I might have bipolar, but I have definitely got bad depression that goes very low and very dark. I have been on everything and I get a little relief with a small dose of Wellbutrin 100 mg, but anymore and I cry. I started taking Latuda, and for the first three days, it was great! I felt nauseous for two days, but day three was awesome! Then I realized I was not sleeping, so my doctor added trazodone. Even with the trazodone, I could not sleep during the night; plus, the trazodone made me a zombie during the day! I quit the trazodone and changed the times of the Latuda to day and still couldn’t sleep! Last night I didn’t take anything, and I finally slept. Today I’ve felt nauseous all day! My doctor sent me a message: “You have a history of depression; let’s just stay on it and see.” Not sure what to do? I’m also hypothyroid, have got fibromyalgia, and PTSD from the army. I just don’t know what to do?"

• Psy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2016

"I used to be at a mental state where every day I would lie on my bed for about 3 hours because I didn't want to do anything. I had severe suicidal thoughts for 2 years and kept switching medications because they caused weight gain. After about a week of taking the medication, my weight started dropping, and my grades shot up to B's instead of C's. Now I'm doing great. I've never had higher grades and haven't felt this good for years. I'd really recommend it. I haven't had side effects yet and probably won't."

• ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2013

"I have Bipolar I disorder with a history of psychotic features. I have just started taking 40 mg of Latuda per day, as I am being weaned from 900 mg of lithium. I was having so many adverse side effects, such as tremors, extreme dry mouth, weight gain, and thyroid issues. Additionally, it didn't seem to be working very well. After a few days, I noticed an amazing positive change in my mood, my appetite, and my stability. I am still on 800 mg of Seroquel per day and 150 mg of Pristiq, but it all continues to go well, Seroquel will be the next to be reduced. I am very optimistic and have not felt this way in a long time."

• JDe...
• September 28, 2019

"I was already (and still am) prescribed Seroquel XR 400 mg for Bipolar 1 disorder. Seroquel XR has been mostly a Godsend as it keeps me stable and prevents manic and racing thoughts, but only slightly effective with my Bipolar depression. After playing with the Seroquel dosage and trying a bunch of antidepressants and Lamictal that made things worse, my doctor suggested adding on Latuda. I started on 20 mg of Latuda in August 2019 along with my Seroquel XR and didn’t notice much. Then, about a month ago, she upped my dose of Latuda to 40 mg. That increase has made a HUGE difference in my life! I am no longer thinking about my own death, and I’m even reaching out to old friends whom I’ve been avoiding. The nice thing about Latuda is it treats my depression without making me manic! Latuda is truly a miracle drug for me. Since I’m also taking the Seroquel XR, in my opinion, these two meds together have made me able to function and leave the house! Thank you!"

• Tj ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 20, 2015

"I've always felt like I live a totally parallel life to everyone around me - never feeling like I am living a normal life. I was always way up or way down, never a happy medium. Honestly, it was difficult to keep up the charade of tirelessly trying to hide what everyone but me already knew and accepted - I was bipolar. I have tried a flurry of medications in conjunction with my current medication, Adderall - as I have always been classic ADHD. The last medication I tried scared me from even trying any new medications as I suffered from some serious side effects of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Reluctantly, I tried Latuda, and suddenly, my world was righted and I feel normal. I've never felt better in my entire life (aside from the headaches). I'm reborn, baby!"