Latuda and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 4)

• spr...
• April 23, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking Latuda 80 mg for 8 months and am on no other medications for medication-induced bipolar disorder, which was caused by antidepressants prescribed for anxiety. Latuda should be taken with 350 calories, but when I took the medicine with food, I was completely engulfed in anxiety within an hour. Now I take it at night with no food. I sleep for 12 hours at night and feel pretty good but am easily irritated. I had the genetic testing, which indicated that I may be a rapid metabolizer of this medicine, so I'm not sure if I am not getting enough of the medicine (because I am not taking it with food) and that is the cause of my irritability or if 80 mg is causing irritability."

• FSE...
• August 9, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "Latuda was a great drug for me. The only side effect was it bothered my nerves while I slept. Another thing I hate about this drug is the price. When I was on it for a month, I was laughing, cracking jokes, just really happy. But since I can't afford it, I'm on Geodon, and it works fine, I just don't have the happiness that Latuda gave me. When I was on Latuda, I was also taking lithium and Lamictal."

• Nic...
• September 16, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Worst medication I've ever taken! Made me sick daily, nauseous. Took with food, threw up. Took 30 minutes after eating food and threw up. After taking this medication, I had increased anxiety. Worst drug I've ever been on."

• Wil...
• December 29, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking Latuda 40 mg for almost 2 weeks. I was feeling less depressed, my mood had stabilized, but I felt a lot of anxiety, more than before I started the medicine. Looking back and thinking about where I am today: irritable, angry, and feeling confused. I may be having a manic episode that the medicine may have induced."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2023

For Schizophrenia "Latuda sucks. I was only on 20 mg once a day for 4 weeks and on 40 mg once a day for 2 weeks. This med made suicidal ideations worse, and I ended up self-harming. I had facial muscle spasms, paranoia, and anxiety, and the depression worsened. I had to take leave off work because of all of this. Before, I was on risperidone, and I was tired at work, so I asked for a new medicine so I could work more hours at work without being tired and falling asleep standing up. I'd take that overall, this nonsense Latuda gave me. Now, I haven't worked for 2 months. I'm behind on bills. I am on permanent disability, but that's not something anyone can live off of. It's why I need this job and why I need medicine that will help me so I can work more than 4 hours a day."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "While some give high ratings, I cannot. Within a week of starting it, it gave me what seemed like full-day-long panic attacks, and I wept for hours. I would later find out it was akathisia, which wreaked havoc on my anxiety and paranoia. Not for me!"

• Tor...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 22, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Absolute life changer. Was on 600 mg of Seroquel, 200 mg of Lamotrigine, and Valdoxan. Since cutting down the Seroquel to 100 mg immediate release and adding in 40 mg of Latuda, I'm honestly a new person. No anxiety. Irritability of Seroquel has gone. Anger problems diminished. Honestly, the happiest and most stable I've ever been in my life. Costs a lot (Australia), but worth every cent. 80 mg of Latuda made me too edgy. Been on it for a year and wouldn't change a thing."

• pet...
• March 14, 2017

For Schizophrenia "I took Latuda for about 5 months. First two weeks at 20 mg - worked fine. Thought clearer, overall better mood. Two weeks later, I was bumped up to 40 mg - problems ensued. Severe restlessness (akathisia). Was then bumped up to 80 mg, then 120, then down to 100... the akathisia became more unbearable at every dose. That, and my brain started feeling overly stimulated and my body gained this sense of underlying fear. Plus, I gained TERRIBLE anxiety. I can verify the anxiety stemmed from the Latuda because I forgot to take my meds one night, and it was gone by the following morning. I'm giving Latuda a 6 because I know how it felt when it worked properly, and I know it benefits many. Unfortunately, things just didn't work out for me big picture."

• Tir...
• September 22, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "For bipolar disorder, I was put on 20 mg of Latuda, then was upped to 40 mg. I didn’t feel a change in my mood at all. I had bad nausea after taking it and a severe uneasy feeling. It was so bad I missed work a few times. This went on for about 3 months. I thought if I kept with it, I would finally feel better. I finally just stopped taking it. It’s also on the expensive side, even with insurance."

• lik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 29, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "cont. So my diagnosis is Bipolar II, Panic Disorder, ADD. Wellbutrin, Lamictal, Xanax, Adderall, and now this. Anyone else on so many different things? I hope I get as lucky as most of you. I've been so low over the last several months, and for the longest time, my memory has been just awful. I'm always anxious. Always. I don't expect this medication to fix that, my Xanax dose is increasing for that. I'm afraid of weight gain. Wellbutrin has helped me be smaller again, and I can eat whatever. I'm not prepared to lose that."

• DJa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 11, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I started taking Latuda about 8 months ago when I got diagnosed Bipolar in the hospital after a manic episode. Initially, I felt very tired, numb, and had social anxiety. It has balanced me out, and I haven't felt more stable in my life. No crazy anger outbursts, no suicidal ideations, or impulsivity. The only downsides are the side effects. I have pretty bad social anxiety, and in the beginning, I was so exhausted, but now that has gone away: clenching of the jaw/teeth, shaky hands/head, I overheat. But the longer I take it, the more the side effects lessen. Overall, I would take the side effects over the horrible mental illness."

• bip...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2024

For Bipolar Disorder "Worked on day 1. Started with super low dose of 10mg (cut 20mg in half) it wasn't nearly enough, so after about 5 weeks we went up to 20mg... and although this is day 1, I feel great. I also react very well to low dose Ativan which I am taking alongside Latuda just until the anxiety dissipates from Latuda. I will plan to taper off the Ativan... I'm only taking about 0.5 to 1.0mg per day total of the Ativan."

• gar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 5, 2019

For Schizophrenia "I was really excited about this med when I started on 40 mg in the psych ward. I didn't feel any side effects and felt more hopeful. I've been on it for a month now on 60 mg, and the voices and delusions have gone way down, not entirely gone yet. The only problem I have is the anxiety, it's a very intense, nauseous anxiety that is worst about an hour or two after I take the Latuda med with dinner. I thought I could deal with it, but it's gotten a bit worse. I feel it throughout the day now. I asked a doc yesterday for something to help with it, and I got buspirone. It doesn't seem to help much. I'm really sad that I might have to find a new med as others I've tried have had worse side effects. I've tried Zyprexa, risperidone, and Abilify. I want Latuda to work so badly but am losing hope."

• Jav...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 31, 2020

For Schizophrenia "It worked for some days the first time I tried it for my schizoaffective disorder. Then I had severe anxiety when I upped the dose, so I stopped. Tried the lower dose again, 20 mg, and it caused panic attacks, hard breathing, severe anxiety. Not worth it for me, I couldn't even think at all, just anxiety and fear."

• Jca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 23, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "Took one 40mg tablet to stabilize moods and nearly called emergency services on myself due to having complete terror and acute fear of death. Ceased medication immediately but am still experiencing panic and fear 6 days after. Wish I never touched it. Praying it gets better."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 31, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "This medicine will change your life. Wait it out. There’s a certain adjustment period your brain needs. Don’t be hyper-aware every time you take it, realize that’s just anxiety. Make sure you take it with at least 350 calories, or it will not work. Sit back, relax, and don't listen to that voice in the back of your head telling you you’re not good enough."

• tda...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "My experience with Latuda is mostly negative. I have been on it for 5 months and will be tapering off in a couple of weeks, thankfully. The only good thing about it is it stabilized me in a severe mixed mania with a psychosis episode, but other than that, the side effects are horrible. It has done nothing for my depression the past two months, and I have had anxiety and major irritability on it. The nausea and vomiting are miserable. I was prescribed Zofran to offset the nausea, but that is not so helpful either since the Zofran causes constipation. The 350 calorie requirement is a pain because you can't take it with dinner or you fall asleep instantly, so I take it with a late-night meal to last a few more hours, hence more weight gain."

• Bet...
• January 2, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "Diagnosed with Bipolar II, this drug Latuda made me severely anxious. I was/am taking Wellbutrin 300, Lithium 900, and we added Latuda to help with bipolar depression. No effect at 20 mg, so we went to 40 mg. Within 2 weeks of the increase, I developed mild, nagging anxiety in the daytime that escalated into utterly excruciating anxiety every evening. Anxiety included suicidal thoughts. I would take the med at 8:30 pm every night, and at about 3 pm every day, the anxiety would start getting progressively worse until I could knock myself out with Benadryl and hydroxyzine. After 3 months of this awful feeling, we (doc and I) finally decided enough was enough and dropped the dose. Going from 40 mg to 20 mg didn’t help, so we discontinued the med altogether. Withdrawal was mild for me, some short-lived mood swings. About 3 weeks after the last dose, I got my life back. This is a great drug for some, and I’m so glad for those who have found relief, but it’s not for me."

• Ely...
• October 14, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I love Latuda! I haven't felt this good in years. My doctor gave it to me for my depression. I really love how it gives me energy, it also didn't take long to kick in. Problems I have with it: dead sex drive, vaginal problems, and anxiety. Make sure you take it at night so you can sleep through the anxiety. Literally, take it right before you go to bed."

• Onl...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 21, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Been on a variety of different med cocktails on and off until steadily starting Topamax around 2008 for Bipolar Disorder I, mixed episodes, generalized anxiety, and ADHD. Just for my bipolar and mixed episodes, I am currently only taking Topamax 800 mg and now Latuda, which I started in February at 20 mg. I noticed a huge positive benefit within 2 weeks. At my third month, my doc and I increased my dose to 40 mg. I was only on that dose for maybe 6 weeks and was still feeling some depression leaking through, so we recently upped my dose to 60 mg. I have noticed myself shaking my foot some and feeling anxious a little, but I also could relate that to my annoying family members who are in town. Don’t forget to keep in mind us bipolar people are highly triggered by our surrounding environment, so don’t be too quick to blame your meds, especially if you’ve already been taking them for several months and your doctor was smart enough to start you low and work you up in dosing."

• ind...
• September 3, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I’m not so sure if I’m bipolar. I seem to get different diagnoses from different doctors. I have been taking Latuda for about 5 days now. It helps with the depression a little bit. It takes it from the dark place and moves it up a bit. It does nothing for anxiety. It makes my head feel like it’s in a vice, and when the vice is tightened, I get a bout of confusion and am not sure where I’m at. I’ve been on antidepressants before, and even they stop working. I’ve had better luck on them. I’m going to stop Latuda and maybe try Prestiq. Good luck, all."

• Lat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2017

For Schizophrenia "I started taking 60 mg of Latuda nine days ago for schizoaffective disorder. After a few days, I felt much more positive, hopeful, and cognitively clearer than I had while I took 60 mg of Geodon. However, in this short time, I have decided that the side effects of Latuda are simply intolerable. I've had increased appetite, breast tenderness, and inability to have an orgasm. I'm going back to Geodon, but I'll be taking a reduced dose (40 mg). As much as I hate the anxiety and sedation involved with Geodon, those side effects are more manageable for me than the ones I've experienced with Latuda."

• cJa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "When I started off, I was on a very low dose of Latuda. And it was horrible. I felt like I just needed to jump out of my skin, and my anxiety was so high I couldn’t even leave my house. And then finally my doctor put me on 120 mg of Latuda, and it has been amazing so far. I’ve gained about 15 pounds, and I feel sluggish 90% of the time. When I talk to my doctor about the dose that I am now on, he mentioned that most psychiatrists feel a low dose would be best for patients, but then they are starting to realize that a higher dose of Latuda is best for the patient. There is no tolerance buildup for this medication. And so I recommend that if you have any issues regarding taking Latuda that you ask your psychiatrist about the dosage. Because for each person, there’s a magic number."

• Lea...
• January 17, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I cross-tapered from Risperdal to Latuda back in July and August. Noticed right away that I was more outgoing and motivated, even though I wasn’t really depressed before. I got bad anxiety from it for about a month, but I pushed through it. Stomach pain and upper back/rib discomfort. Went from 20 to 40 to 60. 60 was too much! Around Thanksgiving, I had to put in an emergency call to my pdoc to lower back to 40 due to akathisia. In December, I started getting involuntary movements that I reported to my pdoc. He said we can wait and see! I made an appointment with a neurologist for a second opinion. This is by far the best med I’ve ever been on for mood, but the side effects suck! I’m so torn on what to do next."

• shr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 30, 2022

For Schizophrenia "Akathisia on this drug was so bad I would pace my roommate's house and drove him crazy. Eventually, it started evening off with some anxiety medicine, but I couldn't go back to work due to the high price without insurance. I got off it, but there were times I would be with my friends and simply have to leave due to moving my feet around, needing space to move and stuff. My doctor helped it a little by lowering it and slowly raising it over a few days, but I agree the akathisia may make you want to get off it, it's not always comfortable for every person, I am sure. Just pure pacing circles all day, and when I would take it at night, I felt dysphoria, like a sense of dread that made me cuddle up in a ball. It wasn't too bad on weight gain at the time, which is why I liked it so much, and I will say it was the most effective med I have been on other than Seroquel, which is my current medication. I literally had to leave friends' houses due to the uncomfortableness and canceled plans."