Lumateperone for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Cap...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 29, 2023

"I love it! When I was first diagnosed with type II bipolar, they put me on 50mg of Lamictal. This was a devil drug for me. It absolutely did the opposite of what it should have and induced more manic episodes than ever. I was flying off the handle at the slightest inconvenience. When I told my psychiatrist, she upped my dosage to 100mg and I began taking 21mg of Caplyta with it. Not much changed with the increase of Lamictal, so I weaned off of it and started taking 42mg of Caplyta alone. (Also, since I've been off of Lamictal, I've had horrific hand and leg tremors - which is known to be associated with quitting it - that drug is HELL!) But since switching over to Caplyta, I feel absolutely great. I'm finally able to feel like myself again. I'm finally happy for the first time in a really long time. I don't have any side effects either - no weight gain, headaches, moodiness, nothing! It's like a complete 180 and I'm beyond thankful for this medication."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 9, 2024

"It puts me straight to sleep. Like if I miss a dose, I cannot sleep! Like, wow, I'm exhausted but not tired enough to sleep! But it does help my mood so, so much better than any of the other medications I was taking."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 20, 2023

"For me, it was a miracle drug. Absolutely zero side effects. They told me that it would make me sleepy, but I didn’t experience that. It has kept my thoughts clear, and I don’t feel drugged up all the time."

• CRS...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 25, 2023

"I've been on what seems like every available drug for depression or bipolar, and none helped. Either they didn't touch my depression, or the side effects were unmanageable. I've been on social security disability for 12 years due to persistent depression from bipolar disorder. I was about to give up or try ECT when, as a last-ditch effort, I agreed to try Caplyta. It's the only thing that's worked for me. It's given me some semblance of a normal life back. I was really sick with side effects for the first day taking it, but then they went away, and I don't have any real side effects at all. The drug doesn't make me sleepy, but if I miss a dose for some reason, I can't sleep at all without it. I will be awake literally all night long, which is dangerous for me, as that can be enough to send me into hypomania. As long as I take the medicine as directed, though, it's great."

• Mau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2024

"I began Caplyta 42mg (at night) 8 days ago for Bipolar 2 depression after trying 15 other psych meds — lamictal, abilify, Seroquel, all the antidepressant classes including 2 MAOIs, etc. Antipsychotics turn me into a sexless sad zombie. Antidepressants do nothing (Wellbutrin brand name only 300-400mg works for 3 months then stops). I also have very severe Seasonal Affect Disorder, ADD, and CPTSD. First day on Caplyta, I had the worst throbbing headache of my life, woke up and ran to the bathroom dry heaving from the pain. Any water or food I threw up in under 2 minutes. 1g Tylenol barely touched the pain, maybe reduced 1/5. Also was groggy and couldn’t walk straight. It was like surprise unanesthetized neurosurgery. Day 2, the pain totally vanished. Within 4 days, I noticed myself becoming less withdrawn and more extroverted. It seems to wear off a little by EOD; hoping it stabilizes w/time. Only side effect has been dry mouth, hoping no sexual side effects! Fingers crossed."

• Bri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 15, 2023

"I take my Caplyta 21mg at night for my Bipolar 2 (20f). The first day, I was miserable. I was very dizzy, MASSIVE migraine, lightheadedness, and cotton mouth. I slept for hours to try to brush off the headache. It became bearable around 8 am. *** When you first take this, make sure that you have no plans. HERE'S THE THING: I have tried everything and I'm still dealing with the depression in my bipolar 2. I was so unmotivated and miserable since I was 14 that I felt unfixable and didn't do anything except rot in my bed. If you feel like this, try to go through the first three days, take it before bed, and request a lower dose (10/21mg). The first day is miserable, but it lessens fast. My anxiety was bad because I was scared to take it after the first night, but it was the best thing I've done for myself. Although, if you feel burning/cold, and physically numb, and the side effects do not go away, you might be allergic or reacting poorly to the medication. Speak to your provider."

• Dun...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 31, 2024

"I have BP2 with severe or suicidal depressions. The combo of Caplyta and lamotrigine has held my mood rock steady, as if I wasn't BP anymore. Lithium never worked this well. Latuda worked, but it had side effects that Caplyta doesn't have for me. 1st generation antipsychotics never helped me much. My only side effect is dry mouth."

• Okl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 16, 2022

"I find Caplyta to be ineffective. I’ve become very drowsy and have a massively increased appetite. For the prescribed purpose, I see no effects. Feels like I’m taking a placebo. This drug is also massively expensive."

• Hap...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 23, 2023

"Like many of you, I have tried a multitude of medications to treat my BPD, ADHD, and GAD. I take Wellbutrin and Vyvanse, but I have had horrific experiences with pretty much every antipsychotic I have tried, particularly associated with the side effect profile. With regard to Caplyta, I feel, for lack of better words, 'centered.' There is a semblance of calm and quelled anxiety that is difficult to replicate. In addition, the ability to differentiate between emotions and take constructive criticism has been an invaluable asset. With regard to weight gain, while it may vary for many people, I have lost weight and have a decreased appetite. Overall, if you are struggling, I would highly recommend trying this medication."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2023

"I had a terrible experience with this drug. I only took it once, but within 15 minutes, I began to have a freezing sensation on one arm, then the other. My nose became stuffed up, and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't fall asleep. After an hour, I fell asleep, but the next day, I was the sickest I had ever been. I couldn't get out of bed and couldn't eat. The freezing sensation was in different places all over the upper half of my body. By 5 pm, I was mostly better, but the freezing feeling has never gone away. It's been a year. Sometimes it's in my head so bad I can't drive or work. This has been a terrible experience."

• Dbo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 12, 2024

"I've been taking Caplyta for almost 1 1/2 years. The first day I had a headache, but I read reviews first so I was prepared for it. It went away, the darkness and the negative thoughts started to disappear within a week! I feel Abilify contributed to the darkness, honestly. I will also say I had issues with my bladder as well (more than a few accidents), but I will say to those of you with similar side effects, the bladder control got better after a while so that's not an issue anymore. I take it at night and I do feel like I sleep better at night (especially in comparison to when I forget to take it). No allergic reactions like burning and freezing, so I'm very fortunate. I initially lost about 6 pounds on it, but I have continued to gain again. I'm only taking Caplyta."

• ter...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 26, 2023

"This is a BIG no for me. I took ONE capsule and literally could barely walk, I was so tired. Then I woke up with the biggest headache. I couldn't even fathom having to go through a few days of this, let alone possibly weeks."

• You...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 27, 2022

"I have a very severe case of bipolar II. I have been on almost every single mood stabilizer, antidepressant, and antipsychotic known to man. This one did not help me at all. The first week, I was very sick (migraine, nausea, stomach pain, heat regulation), but nothing I couldn't push through. After about day 10, something changed in my brain that sent me into a 20-day-long manic episode with minor psychosis. Nearly hospitalized when I came off the medication due to withdrawal effects. Not the worst medication I've taken, but it's definitely in the top 3."

• ish...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 10, 2023

"I've had an overall pleasant experience with Caplyta 42 mg. I took my first dose on a Friday night and quickly became very drowsy and went to bed early. I woke up the next morning with a horrible headache, but it stopped after a few days. I've been on Caplyta for 5 weeks now, and it still makes me slightly drowsy, which is fine. It helps me sleep, my depression has greatly lifted, and I'm able to get more things done instead of being in a cycle of being too overwhelmed to get anything done. Much to my husband's satisfaction, my libido seems to be coming back a bit after a 2-year dry spell. If you can push through a rough headache for a few days, I think it's worth it. It does give me a dry mouth, but after getting some water and brushing my teeth in the morning, it subsides."

• Dia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2023

"I started Caplyta on April 16, 2023, at 10.5 mg. On April 21, I started 21 mg. On April 24, I started 31.5 mg. On April 29, I started 42 mg. I am so severely depressed. Having headaches, coughing, sneezing, a raw nervous stomach, and diarrhea. Don’t know how I am going to continue feeling this way. Suicide ideations are very scary. Is there still hope for me? I can’t decide if I should continue on this medication or not. Not sure how much more misery I can take. I have also considered going back down to 31.5 mg, maybe 42 mg is too much for my system. I just need some relief from this depression. I wake up every day not wanting to do another day. I am Bipolar II depression. I usually feel good for about 15-19 days of feeling normal and then I tank for 28-25 days. I have been deeply depressed since April 14. I am barely surviving right now. Does anyone have any helpful advice for me?"

• Wil...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 21, 2023

"Been bipolar 2 for 58 years. Luckily, I could afford every treatment under the sun and had them (talk, drug, alternative) everything but ECT. Did you know the label TRD (treatment-resistant depression) requires failing with only two antidepressants? How about 22? I've had them. Many of the drugs seemed to work at first (as did TMS and ketamine infusions), but they just piggy-backed on my rising mood and jumped off as the mood went down and did nothing to prevent it. I had awful side effects when I started Caplyta. But nothing about us is as individual as our brain chemistry. For me, Caplyta was the first treatment to break a six-month depression, a few weeks after starting. After 58 years of trying. The mood became hypomanic (the bi in bipolar) and lasted for nine months. Longest ever. Then it just stopped as we know these drugs do. But only for four months and then a changed life circumstance and Caplyta brought me back to hypomania. Hang in with it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 19, 2022

"This medication turned my whole life around. I thought I was just gonna be severely depressed almost 24/7 for the rest of my life. Caplyta also made my mania with psychotic features a little less intense. Everything I hear on a daily basis can be tuned out, and it no longer makes it hard for me to communicate or listen to others and pay attention to my environment. Caplyta is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I went out of my way to search for a place where I could leave a review because I really need the team of people who helped create this medicine to know that they are going to save so many lives with their creation. I have literally tried every other antipsychotic, and this is the only thing that works. I also don't need a mood stabilizer anymore. I'm bipolar, and I don't need a mood stabilizer with Caplyta. That is huge. Haven't had any success with actual mood stabilizers. It came as a huge surprise when I realized I was stable enough to quit taking mood stabilizers."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 2, 2022

"I've been on it for 5 days, and it is awful! My mood isn't better. I can't do anything. I feel like crap! My head hurts, my neck is all tensed up constantly, my stomach feels like it's in knots. I don't want to drink anything, I have to force myself to drink. I pee every 5 minutes, and I feel like I have a UTI. I just want to sleep, but I can't sleep soundly. It's the worst feeling! I want to just stop taking it, but I'm afraid of what will happen."

• Jul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2023

"I started Caplyta about 3 months ago. My regular medicines weren’t working too well, and I was finding myself constantly in tears and feeling unworthy. I had many manic episodes and caused my family a lot of pain by my constant need to shop and my mood changes. I spoke to the doctor about how I was suffering. After having been on dozens of medications for over two decades, my doctor told me about Caplyta. I figured why not give it a go considering my current mood and condition weren’t being helped. After about 6 weeks on the 42 mg starting and therapeutic dose, I started to feel good. I wasn’t perfect, but I noticed I was smiling more and crying less, and my shopping had let up. Eight weeks in, I’m almost back to my teenage self pre-diagnosis. I’m almost never sad anymore. I’m not dwelling on things. I can think straight. I’m not unnecessarily shopping anymore, and my relationship with my husband and kids is finally good. I have not noticed any side effects except for being drowsy."

• myb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 27, 2022

"I was put on Caplyta after Invega Sustenna made me gain around 60 lbs. The first two weeks, Caplyta made me so sedated I had to start taking it at night, but after I switched to that, it worked well. On Caplyta, I was finally able to start losing weight, and I would say it’s weight neutral. Unfortunately, I think I will have to stop taking it because I am having problems controlling my bladder. It isn’t a lot, but enough to notice. At first, this symptom went away after a month and a half, but it has come back, and I don’t feel like being 29 and incontinent is worth it, so I will be looking for something else."

• wor...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 3, 2024

"I have been on this for a year. I have not been monitored. I see that I should have been getting EKGs. I passed out twice in a grocery store, and when I was in the ER, they said I have QT prolongation. Caplyta is the cause of it. I don't have to stop it right away, but I need to get monitored more with EKGs because it will probably happen again. I call this medicine my 'miracle drug', it has helped me tremendously. But I'm also wondering if the other side effects are worth it."

• LMc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 26, 2023

"I love this drug. I have been on it for 2 months now and I can tell such a change. I have severe bipolar 2 depression and have tried a variety of meds. After just accepting the fact that I will just get through life and not enjoy it, my psychiatrist suggested Caplyta. The first 3 days are awful!!! Chills, dry mouth, headache, sleepiness, nausea. I honestly thought I wasn't going to continue, but I did and I am so happy. Make sure you take the med at night because it does make you drowsy. I only hope I can continue to afford it. Once the coupon is over, I don't think I will be able to keep at it. So I do fear that, but will deal with it when it happens. We all deserve to be happy."

• Sti...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 5, 2022

"This medication gave me hope. It is the only antipsychotic I have been able to lose weight while taking. Previously, I have never even been able to maintain my weight while on an antipsychotic. I have also tried Seroquel, Abilify, Latuda, and Zyprexa. I was the first patient my doctor put on this medication. And I'm still here. I would recommend for mood improvement and maintenance. My only negative feedback is that I do notice my thoughts tend to become more of the 'racing' type when it gets close to time to dose again. No suicidal or homicidal thoughts or ideations. I simply have trouble organizing my 'to-do list' in my head."

• adh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 3, 2022

"This medication has saved me!!! I have suffered so long with horrible mood swings, mania, and depression. I have tried lots of things, but I went to a new psychiatrist, and she started me on Vraylar, which gave me terrible anxiety and wouldn’t stop. Then she switched me to this. I read lots of bad reviews about it, but I took it anyway because I know everyone’s different. I take this, along with Wellbutrin & Vyvanse, and honestly, it’s great because I can sleep at night. Everyone tells me how much happier and alert I seem. I’m actually motivated now! I think it’s a combo of all 3 meds, but I know this one definitely made a world of difference for me! I say ignore these bad reviews and give it a try, my husband said this med saved my life!!"

• atl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 12, 2023

"I’ve been on Caplyta for just about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks. The first couple of days, I felt unbelievably drugged up. I couldn’t walk without losing my balance. The first 3 to 4 days, I had an insane migraine. My appetite disappeared and has yet to come back. I’m more shaky than I have ever been. It might just be the anxiety, though. My anxiety is not diminished at all on this medication. I’ve been diagnosed with bipolar II, and I’m starting to believe that this medication is boosting my irritability; I’ve been agitated easier and more intensely. The first week, I felt more productive, but now I feel like I’ve always felt. My emotions are intense, my thoughts are loud, and my insomnia is worse. This medication may work for you; be mindful that you will most definitely not see improvement within the first weeks. I’m hoping to see changes, however, I’m doubtful."