Latuda and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 10, 2023

For Bipolar Disorder "I can only describe my experience in hopes that it potentially helps the reader considering this drug. I have struggled with bipolar for years. Tried 9 different drugs now. Latuda induced a feeling of being high, and I experienced horrible nightmares and akathisia on it. But that wasn't the worst part. After increasing the dose in hopes that it would help me, I had an experience of what I can only describe as out-of-body severe panic and anxiety that lasted 2 days. I have anxiety already, but this was not that. I thought I was going to die. After reducing the dose, this feeling went away, and now I am slowly tapering off the drug. Please be aware of any and all potential risks involved when taking any kind of psychiatric drug, especially Latuda. Bad experience, will never use this drug again."

• spo...
• February 23, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Before I was prescribed Latuda, I was at the end of my rope. I was so depressed. My doctor put me on 20 mg, and overnight everything was beautiful again. I enjoyed doing things I hadn't in years. The Latuda would put me right to sleep, and I had vivid dreams. Two months later, all those good feelings were gone. My doctor bumped me up to 40 mg, but I only experienced horrible side effects like agitation and anxiety. I'm back at 20 mg, and I want off it completely. I can't eat or sleep. I have to take Xanax to fall asleep now, and I feel myself slipping back into depression. I should also mention that whenever I have a drink, I automatically black out, so I can't even have a few drinks with my friends anymore."

• Anonymous
• July 18, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "If you always get anxious or akathisia a couple of hours after taking Latuda, try taking 80 mg of Propranolol at the same time you take your dose in the evening. I have found a small dose of Valium (between 2 to 5 mg) on particularly anxious evenings works also, but try the Propranolol first. Latuda has helped my mental health immensely. Best wishes."

• too...
• February 28, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I took this medicine while I was pregnant, it was difficult in the first two weeks. I had a lot of anxiety, and I went to sleep really fast, but after that, the medicine worked perfectly, and I was very happy with it. My baby was born full term and very healthy, but now I'm nursing, and I had to stop taking Latuda, that was a bad idea. I feel horrible right now, I need to go back on the medicine."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 27, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on it for 1.2 weeks. Started at 20 and now up to 40 mg. I was so scared to try this medicine because, unfortunately, I have a side effect to just about every anti-psychotic except Seroquel. They tend to make my eyes roll back. I can bring them down to look at you, but then they stay stuck up. Not even Cogentin helps. I am so excited because this has not happened with the Latuda yet. I am down 6.4 pounds, and I feel great. My appetite is very curbed. Unfortunately, my first week I had a lot of anxiety and one very bad day. But all of that has seemed to subside. My stomach has been upset... But I'm willing to take the bad... because I'm getting so much good."

• Nan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 25, 2023

For Bipolar Disorder "My encounter with this medication was a complete nightmare! Every morning, I would lie in bed for a few hours before finally mustering the strength to get up. Once I was up, I had no motivation to shower, engage in any activities, or spend time with my beloved grandchildren, who used to bring me so much joy. Anxiety consumed me every single day for the entire nine months that I was on the drug, and it would appear out of nowhere. I found myself falling asleep at 7:30 pm with no interest in having any kind of social life. Life felt meaningless and hollow. Any kind of noise, whether it was music or television, was unbearable to me, even though I used to enjoy these things. Reading, which was once a source of pleasure, also became a challenge. Initially, I took the medication at bedtime, but my last prescription instructed me to take it in the morning. As a compromise, I took it during lunchtime. Although I am happy to see that some individuals have rated this drug with ten stars, my experience was an absolute living nightmare."

• Ano...
• January 25, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "20 mg, bipolar depression - was happy to be on this med for about 1.5 years. I had a healthy routine, went to therapy, was building my life and thriving. Eventually, I began to feel very uncomfortable, like my dose was too high? Taken nightly, I could feel it kick in... always within a couple of hours, I would feel so unlike myself, sad, on edge, uncomfortable seemingly without a cause. I began to go to bed immediately, otherwise, I would be up with intrusive thoughts begging for the discomfort to end. Withdrawal period - I came off cold turkey and suffered a long adjustment period. No period, 6 months of pretty intense depression, and unable to eat. I took 15 minutes to force down a spoon of peanut butter every morning... became desperate and went back on the med because I thought I needed it to function, but really I just needed to make it a little longer through withdrawals. Expensive, ask around for coupons. Good luck, everybody."

• zom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "For the first two weeks, I felt an improvement in mood (I have bipolar). I am on Lamictal, Seroquel, and Ativan for the occasional anxiety. I started out on 20 mg, then after two weeks went to 40 mg. Right at the three-week mark, that’s when I started to have extreme panic attacks, restlessness, and I felt out of my mind. I already suffer from hypomania, disassociation, and anxiety, and this medication exponentially increased it. I felt out of my mind and decided to quit cold turkey, which is kind of disheartening because I was desperate for a pill that would work for my severe depression and hypomania. Everything was intensified to the point. Voices in my head, panic attacks, anxiety over everything, and a complete loss of time and space. I wouldn’t recommend this drug to anyone with preexisting anxiety disorders."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "After being on Seroquel and then shortly Zyprexa, I was put on Latuda 40 mg. It gave me a lot of anxiety and strong restless feelings, so I dropped to 20 mg, and it helped. I've since gone back up to 40 mg because 20 wasn't helping all my symptoms. It helps a lot with suicidal thoughts and negative obsessive thoughts, and I've noticed I've lost weight on it. The anxiety can be kind of unbearable at times, but in the overall scheme, it seems to be worth it. I would go up to a higher dose, but my insurance won't cover it. I take it at night with something to eat, and if I do have uncomfortable feelings, they go away within a couple of hours. Overall, I would say it's a pretty good med, but be careful because it is pretty potent even at low doses."

• KC ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 23, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I really don't know what to say. I've been on Latuda 40mg for two months, and I don't see much of a difference between 40mg and 20mg. I tried a higher dose, but I experience restlessness and anxiety. Now, I am so irritable, and my panic attacks have returned. I'm not sure what my doctor has in mind, but we are trying to control the panic attacks right now and find a way to help me sleep throughout the night."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 20, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I haven't seen anyone else discuss this, but Latuda gave me a lot of anxiety. Within 2 hours after taking the medication, I would be in full freak-out mode. Also, my lower legs felt tingly. These issues tended to last anywhere from 2-7 hours after I took it (at 4 pm). I gave it a 3 because I think it was otherwise working for what I'd hoped. My irritability disappeared completely. However, because of the side effects, I'm off and looking for something else. (I also take lithium and Lamictal)."

• Oce...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 28, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been diagnosed with Major Depression with Mixed Features. Anniversary reaction to 4 major events. Guess I finally had a breakdown. I’ve always kept it together as I am med phobic. I went into massive depression and anxiety. My pdoc has been very patient with me and really tried to educate me on Latuda. It took 3 months for me to finally take the medication with much conversation and her explaining the benefits of sleep. I’m on 10 mg of Lexapro and 20 mg of Latuda with food at night, and I take 1 mg of Xanax as needed. Since taking Latuda, I don’t need to use any benzos. I’m calm throughout the day. I don’t feel depressed like I was, it was bad. I feel like I’m getting my life back in order again. It’s only been about 2 to 3 weeks. My doc was very good about taking time to explain it’s not just for one condition and there are off-label uses. If your doc suggests this medication, give it a shot, it’s worth it, especially for MDD and anxiety. Good luck out there."

• Bac...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 1, 2019

For Schizophrenia "My psychiatrist put me on Latuda to treat my condition. I started with a small dose and went up to a maximal dose. I was informed that the drug could cause side effects, such as extreme unrest when getting to sleep. After two months of use, I started to feel horrible side effects. Feeling extremely vulnerable in social situations and anxiety. Often I experienced the worst nightmares through the nights while being/feeling fully awake. I had uncontrolled panic attacks and started to sweat heavily. Many unpleasant thoughts and even experiencing not being alone. Also, physical abnormal behavior in the face/mouth/tongue. This could last for many hours until I fell asleep, being totally exhausted. I never had such issues before. It happened mostly once a week. I was always afraid to go to sleep. For a long time, I didn't suspect the drug was the trigger. But at the end, I quit the drug for good, even though my doctor didn't recommend it. After I was off the drug, everything went back to normal again."

• Lea...
• September 5, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "This medication Latuda made me want to jump out of my skin with jitteriness and restlessness. I’ve never felt anything like it in my life. It was extremely uncomfortable even on only 40 mg. The good things about the medication are that I had energy and I can sleep well at night. Also, my appetite wasn’t as high as when I took other medications. The feelings it gave me definitely outweighed the good."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I am diagnosed with bipolar depression, anxiety, and OCD. I had to get off Zyprexa because it was causing too much weight gain. I was really hoping Latuda would work because I was just so tired of this rough journey of trying so many meds! When I started Latuda, I started feeling super awake, weird, in a manic state, and all in all just an uncomfortable feeling. My brain couldn’t focus on doing any schoolwork at all. So if you’re taking this around school, be careful! On the bright side, it did bring my sexual libido back (after it being taken away by Zyprexa). I got off Latuda immediately because I was just so uncomfortable on it. Now I am on lithium, Prozac, and Lamictal, and everything has gotten better. Good luck and keep going-Latuda may work for you like many others, so consider trying it!!!"

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on this medicine for 2 months now. They upped my dosage every week as follows: 20 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg. I went to my check-up, and I still felt very irritable and mean, so she bumped me to 80 mg and said that should work. No! I hated it! I felt like I was jumping out of my skin, I couldn't sit still and felt so antsy that I couldn't sleep. I had to drink a beer or take a Xanax to fall asleep. I decided to take matters into my own hands and dropped myself back down to 40 mg, and I feel great now. I have no depression, and I feel alive again. My anxiety is still here, but I will be back on my Klonopin soon to help. I have to take this with dinner, or I feel nauseous."

• tin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 13, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I took Latuda for my recently diagnosed bipolar II. I started on 20 mg, and it was great for my mood. It did have a strange side effect of making me incredibly anxious to go to bed. I physically had to go to sleep at the same time every day, or I would be jittery, irritable, and anxious the whole time I stayed up. My doctor thought going up in dosage could reduce this and help my mood more, but it just made the akathisia worse, leaving me with shaky hands and a clenching jaw as well. I wish this drug didn't have the physical side effects because, during the day, I felt great!"

• tin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 13, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I took Latuda for my recently diagnosed bipolar II. I started on 20 mg, and it was great for my mood. It did have a strange side effect of making me incredibly anxious to go to bed. I physically had to go to sleep at the same time every day, or I would be jittery, irritable, and anxious the whole time I stayed up. My doctor thought going up in dosage could reduce this and help my mood more, but it just made the akathisia worse, leaving me with shaky hands and a clenching jaw as well. I wish this drug didn't have the physical side effects because, during the day, I felt great!"

• tin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 13, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I took Latuda for my recently diagnosed bipolar II. I started on 20 mg, and it was great for my mood. It did have a strange side effect of making me incredibly anxious to go to bed. I physically had to go to sleep at the same time every day, or I would be jittery, irritable, and anxious the whole time I stayed up. My doctor thought going up in dosage could reduce this and help my mood more, but it just made the akathisia worse, leaving me with shaky hands and a clenching jaw as well. I wish this drug didn't have the physical side effects because, during the day, I felt great!"

• Err...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 31, 2018

For Schizophrenia "It works. I saw my thought patterns change, I was less angry, less paranoid. I always find a person's worst possible intentions and run with that as to why they act, that stopped happening. The crazier thoughts disappeared. I still felt depressed and unhappy and stuff, but started becoming more optimistic, realistically, instead of 'if you look left, someone is going to give you a million dollars' or was 'go get a damn job,' stupid example, but thoughts were more grounded in reality. However, I started getting really bad anxiety. So bad I had to stop. Hopefully, I can find a way with my doctor to manage the anxiety because everyone around me noticed I was a lot easier to deal with. 40 mg a day. If you have psychotic thoughts, try it. You may not notice a difference at first, but you'll notice you become a lot more approachable and scare or emotionally hurt people a little less than you used to."

• bni...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 28, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I've taken a lot of medications. I was prescribed Latuda, and it wasn't a very good experience. I couldn't even sit down to watch a movie without feeling jittery and needing to be on the go. When it was bedtime, my legs were so restless I couldn't sleep. I would lay in bed, kicking my legs nonstop. I'll never take this again."

• Jul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2023

For Bipolar Disorder "I took this ONCE in August 2016 for constant bipolar manic episodes where I was constantly angry. I was 19 at the time. When I first took it, I thought nothing of it, but 2 hours later I felt so restless and anxious that it was BEYOND unbearable! I wanted to sleep, but I had too much energy. I looked like I was tweaking when I went to the store that day. I kept fidgeting, rocking back and forth, talking excessively, jumping into a panic, hyperventilating, pacing, swinging my legs up, squirming, etc. When I got home, I took an Ativan, and that calmed everything down, but not 100%. My psychiatrist discontinued Latuda and prescribed me something else. That was sooooo terrifying, even seven years later, I still feel it when thinking about it."

• Ang...
• April 22, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "The first week and a half was unbearable. Severe anxiety, depression, and crazy vivid nightmares... then it was like a light was switched on and everything felt great. I was just upped to 40 mg a week ago today, and now I am back to severe anxiety, depression, and vivid nightmares... I really hope this pulls through for me once again, or I am going back down to 20 mg. My relationship was blossoming, now I feel we are struggling once more. I refuse to lose my happiness due to this mental disorder!"

• kou...
• July 28, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "After battling insurance to finally cover this med, I can't say the improvements in depression are worth the $1,000 price tag. After trying numerous medications for over 17 years to help with depression, I was really hoping for more. I would say that as an add-on to Prozac, it is only somewhat effective. At first, I was pleased by the lack of noticeable side effects compared to other antipsychotics. It didn't make me groggy during the day, nor did I experience any muscle twitches. However, at about the third month on 20 mg, I began getting severe akathisia shortly after ingesting. It manifested with inner restlessness (not normal for me), anxiety, and the inability to stop moving. For me, this has gotten so unpleasant that I've decided to stop it."

• Vic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I have bipolar type II and took it for a couple of months, and it left me feeling constantly on edge. I couldn't relax and watch a movie with my boyfriend or even just sit and read a book without feeling anxious. I don't know for sure if I have anxiety, but it definitely made me very anxious. It didn't help my moods either, cause I was constantly on edge, and anything triggered an episode for me. But I know a few people it helped out, just not for me. One thing I will say is if you take it, take it before bed with food. Taking with food helps your body absorb it, and taking it before bed helps with the anxious part for some."