Latuda and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• bur...
• January 14, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Latuda for several months, recently increased to 60 mg. At first, I thought it was pretty good, subtle improvements. Now it's hard to say. I have intense intrusive thoughts every day, suicidal, and I've begun hearing music in the distance (like tinnitus, but music instead of ringing). The former two existed to some degree before I started Latuda, the latter is brand new. Most noted side effect: EXTREMELY sedating for 2-3 hours abruptly followed by intense restlessness, need to move. Haven't figured out a good time of day to take it for this reason. Take it in the morning, I'm fighting drowsiness half the day. Take it in the evening, I'm wide awake until 2 AM. Also, nausea. Other medicines I take: Lamictal, Prozac, Cardizem, Ativan."

• Gem...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 16, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Lamictal and Wellbutrin for over 2 years without a lift on severe bipolar depression. It felt like they kept me just from the edge of suicide but in dark misery. We started trying atypical antipsychotics... Abilify helped a bit with 8 lbs weight gain, Saphris lowered anxiety and weight but left depression untouched. Then came Latuda, and life changed at 40 mg. The dark cloud lifted in three weeks, and I saw and thought and felt clearly. I'm envious that people feel this way all the time and don't appreciate it all. I'm finally living and not just surviving. Small prices to pay are sleepiness and having to eat so much to take the pills, because it knocks me out, I eat later than I'd like and have noticed weight gain."

• Str...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 1, 2018

For Schizophrenia "I started getting voices and hallucinations after I received stress at work. It impacted my normal reasoning and rational decision-making at that time, my head was filled up with visuals and voices of my previous friends who were creating a racket in my head and controlling my body movements. I was hearing theories about how my family is in danger, buy property, police-government is tracking my activities, God and religion, demons, capitalism, etc. I resigned from my job, could not find another one, could not get social security, became depressed, had nightmares, used to sleep a lot, had hypertension and high blood pressure, and gave my newly married wife a really hard and distressing time. The psychologist gave Latuda, and the hallucinations and voices started diminishing over a period of 2-3 months. The dosage was initially high at 160 mg, then reduced to 120 mg, and now 80 mg, it has been 8-10 months. The medicine has a bit of drowsy side effect and impacted my cholesterol."

• Red...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 21, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 3.5 years ago. Initially, I took Lamictal and Saphris for one year. Saphris made me too drowsy too often, so now I take Lamictal and Latuda (60 mg). I recommend taking Latuda at night with food. If I take it in the morning or during the day, I get very restless and can't sit still or focus on anything. I have no problems if I take it right before bed with a snack."

• can...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 9, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I've only been on Latuda 20 mg for 2 weeks for bipolar depression. I'm sure my doc will increase my dosage at my next appointment this week, but I definitely felt better after a few days at 20 mg. Not great, but better than I have in a long time. Kind of a strange feeling to feel a little better after feeling suicidal and depressed for years. I still take clonazepam for my severe anxiety, but I feel Latuda can ease my anxiety and depersonalization more with an increase. At first, Latuda knocked me out, and I slept like a baby. I have trouble sleeping, so this was a nice side effect for me. Now, after almost two weeks at 20 mg, this side effect has subsided. Bummer. So far that's the only side effect I've had. No akathisia for now, thank goodness."

• Rac...
• August 10, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Latuda 80 mg for 10 months now and can honestly say that it has changed my life. The first few weeks of adjusting to the medication were awful - I couldn't work and the nausea and headaches were out of this world. However, now I feel as good as new. It has stopped my hallucinations and has kept me balanced. It does make me very sedate after taking it, so I only take it right before bedtime."

• bpe...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 13, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Started taking Latuda about 1 year ago for bipolar and never did its job, as I never saw any positive effects. I did, however, have issues with the side effects of it knocking me out, tremors, and muscle stiffness. The fact that it makes me want to sleep all day makes me very depressed. I also started having more than usual really dark thoughts. Started seeing a new doc, and he is taking me off it, but the withdrawals from Latuda are horrible."

• San...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 4, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "If I could give Latuda a 0 rating, I definitely would. The akathisia was terrible, to the point that I would cry all night and every night because I couldn’t fall asleep. I was restless yet drowsy. I would watch the clock constantly all day every day because one minute would feel like 4 hours to me. Doing ANYTHING was torture, yet NOT doing anything was also torture. Doctor switched me back to Seroquel XR, and I am back to my old self, thank goodness."

• Cri...
• July 23, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I am 58 and was diagnosed with Bipolar II and ADHD. I'm currently on Latuda 20 mg, Lamictal 300 mg, Cymbalta 60 mg, and Vyvanse 40 mg per day. Before Latuda, I would stay in bed for months and considered suicide. Within a week of starting it, I was motivated, hopeful, and energetic. I do experience significant restlessness, a weird anxiety, and hyperventilating about 2 hours after taking it-it also makes me drowsy-so I eat about 8 pm, take it (you must take Latuda with at least 350 calories for proper absorption of the med), and go to bed about 10. It doesn't bother me while I'm asleep. Unfortunately, I have noticed a return of some depressive symptoms lately. I tried 40 mg, but the side effects are too severe. :("

• JUI...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 27, 2015

For Schizophrenia "Just started it today. Doctor wants to stop the Haldol and taper off the Zyprexa. I also take something for ADD, which helps the intrusive thoughts, which then allows me to finally concentrate. No nausea as others have stated, and just a mild sleepiness. See doctor in 2 weeks."

• I...
• June 19, 2016

For Schizophrenia "I have been taking this medication for 2 years now. The first year, it worked like a wonder pill. Minimal side effects such as nausea and drowsiness after ingesting it. Sometimes I would have a feeling of impending doom, like if my life was going to end after I took the pill. Later, this medicine turned out horrible. I don't know what a night's sleep is. It causes me severe insomnia. I feel always tired, even after sleeping 15 hours. I'm suffering from severe depression from this medicine. It makes me irritable and angry. It drains me of motivation. The only thing I can say good about this medicine is that it has caused me no weight gain whatsoever. This medication drains me from being able to live life."

• Ste...
• May 8, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I replaced my Seroquel with Latuda because the former wasn't working well any longer, and I gained a lot of weight. I only lost a few pounds after the switch to 80 mg of Latuda. So, my doctor and I worked on a trial-and-error program with a combination of drugs. Here's what's working for me as of now: 20 mg of Latuda (makes me drowsy, and that's about it...so I take it at night), 400 mg of Lamotrigine (can't think of any side effects), and 0.5 mg of Xanax every night. I've always had trouble sleeping, so the combo of Latuda and Xanax takes care of that. The Xanax also helps with the anxiety I've always had, the Lamotrigine keeps the mania and some of the depression away, and the Latuda seems to take the rest of the depression away. I've been stable with this combination and lost another 11 lbs. The biggest downside-besides cost-is the drowsiness I have during the day. A 20 min nap helps with that."

• Vap...
• August 12, 2016

For Schizophrenia "Latuda has been a hero in my battle against schizophrenia. Aside from having to take it with food and having trouble cooling off in hot weather, I am very glad to have Latuda. This drug makes it impossible for me to function acceptably in life due to side effects such as sedation and other cognitive issues. So I accept that gladly as it cures my schizophrenia. I take 120 mg each day. I try to save my pill as late in the day as I can, but usually take it around one o'clock. So I cannot function at a job acceptably and need help functioning at home occasionally, but my schizophrenia is entirely in check for the most part."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, anxiety, and OCD last year. I came off of Zyprexa to try Latuda, and that was a pretty bad decision because Zyprexa did wonders (the weight gain became an issue). I took Latuda with 75 mg Lamictal and 30 mg Prozac. The first week of Latuda (went from 20 mg to 40 mg) I felt so hyper, unproductive, not focused on school work, and just uncomfortable. My obsessions got worse too. But I did NOT feel depressed at all, so that was good. I started losing a couple of pounds and got my libido back. After taking the pill at night, I was super nauseous, wanted to puke (but ginger ale helped a lot), and felt sleepy throughout the WHOLE day. I finally got off of it after a week. Try to go into trying Latuda with an open mind, and it may work for you. Also, with my insurance, I paid $70 for a bottle of 15 pills. Pretty expensive!!"

• 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."

• Mic...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 28, 2018

For Schizophrenia "Started Latuda a few years ago. Was initially prescribed to take 80 mg, which was too much and caused drowsiness. I reduced to 40 mg and had minor fatigue. Now I take 30 mg and have taken 30 mg daily since then. It's cured my schizophrenia at the cost of giving me anemia."

• Hap...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 29, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I'm taking Latuda for bipolar 2. I started on 20 mg and eventually went up to 40 mg. It seems to work well for me. I haven't experienced any hypomania, and over time, the bouts of depression subsided. In the beginning, I experienced a lot of nausea and sleepiness. That went away after several months. I also experience anxiety an hour or two after taking it occasionally, so now I take it at bedtime. That seemed to solve that problem. Other than the anxiety, I really don't experience any other side effects anymore."

• Ivy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 6, 2021

For Schizophrenia "I was prescribed this earlier this year, in July, and I was only on it for a day. It helped my benzodiazepine withdrawal SOME, but it immediately gave me insane akathisia, where I felt extremely anxious in my legs and couldn’t sit still. Everything was making me panic and cry, and I felt sleepy as anything, almost nodded off several times while in public and even on my date with my boyfriend, and I threw up a few times. That was my first and last time taking it. Never again, wouldn’t recommend 0/10."

• Vic...
• March 17, 2016

For Schizophrenia "I put a 5/10 rating because I have just started taking Latuda 20 mg. The only side effect I have noticed is feeling drowsier than usual. I am most likely going to give it 1-2 weeks before jumping to the conclusion that it doesn't work (as I was notorious for doing that after like 2 days of taking the medication). I am also taking Wellbutrin 300 mg and Trazodone 50 mg. I find I take Latuda after dinner or a late snack as it does make me drowsy. However, the Trazodone is like a miracle drug for me. Before I was taking it and when I took a break from it when I couldn't afford them at the time, I had the most restless sleeps imaginable. Was skeptical about starting Latuda as I am also taking 2 other medications. But the psychiatrist said it was safe."

• Cot...
• August 14, 2017

For Schizophrenia "I've been on Latuda for 5 weeks now: first week 20 mg, second week 40 mg, third week 80 mg, fourth week 120 mg, 5th week 160 mg. Side effects of sedation, constipation. It has not started to uplift my mood, I wonder how long it will take for it to motivate me. No increase in my appetite, thank God."

• lat...
• March 29, 2018

For Schizophrenia "I've been on Latuda for 6 months now for schizophrenia. I've had paranoia and persistent auditory hallucinations; this drug was a miracle for blasting them away. For the first 3 weeks, I was a sleepy wreck and didn't dare drive, but a lot of that went away over time. It took probably about 2-3 months for the hallucinations to finally go away; you could tell the volume on them was going down every day. I had moderate akathisia. This was on 40 mg of Latuda. After months of having no voices, I decided to try tapering off to 30 mg, and noise hearing has started to creep in again (sob!), but my akathisia went away, and I felt a bit more alert. I'm debating staying on this at 30 mg; I seem to also have a lot of demotivation and anhedonia since I started taking the drugs, but they could just also be negative symptoms of psychosis. In sum, great for hallucinations, not that great for everything else."

• Liz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 2, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "Latuda basically saved my life. I was suicidal and swung between severe depression and wild mania. I've been on 80 mg for about 3 months now, and the only side effects I've had were sleepiness (which is good because I had raging insomnia) and some anxiety. The doctor gave me a script for low-dose Xanax, and I've never felt better!"

• Dar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I’m late diagnosed bipolar (at 46) and recently diagnosed BPD (at 49). Been on Wellbutrin for about 3 years, but because my BPD was so bad this year, the new doctor suggested Latuda because I won’t take Seroquel. Four weeks in, I’m not impressed… I feel the negative effects don’t make up for the positive ones. Pros: I don’t get upset, I have crocheted more (because I feel bleh). Cons: I don’t get happy, I lost my libido, it puts me to sleep at 40 mg… I don’t even get satisfaction from cuddling, touching my husband… almost repulses me. I haven’t gotten off the couch to do anything since taking it, it makes me violently puke if not taken at the right time after eating a ton, and it makes me sleepy so I have to wait until night to eat… Everyone is different, but I’m seeing a lot of flat effect on people. To me, I need some emotions…"

• Cre...
• September 2, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "Took this drug throughout half of 2020. All I can say is that while it did mellow me out, I was physically withered if I drank even a single glass of alcohol (socially). I get it, don't mix psych meds with alcohol... but I was experiencing more than mere drowsiness/CNS depression. It felt like a toxic mixture. After just one drink, I'd have to go lay down because I couldn't even sit upright. I wasn't intoxicated, just felt very weak and ill. It was a malaise I'd never felt before and haven't felt since. Definitely give this drug a shot if you think it would help. But for me, the painful exhaustion and discomfort after a glass of wine with dinner was enough to put me off this medication. Depakote was much better."

• Nur...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 20, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with rapid cycling bipolar disorder and began taking Latuda (20 mg for 5 days, 40 mg for 4 days, then 60 mg once daily). About a week after I had gotten to the 60 mg dose, I developed a generalized, itchy rash (most prominent on my forehead, upper back, and arms), so my doctor and I agreed to discontinue the medication as it was most likely an allergic reaction to the medication. I do feel that, in the short time I was on it, Latuda did help control my mania/hypomania, but I didn’t feel it helped with the depressive episodes. I did experience nausea/vomiting once when I took the 40 mg dose on an empty stomach, and I also noticed eyelid twitching while on the 60 mg dose. I did find it a bit difficult to take the medication with at least 350 calories worth of food because I’ve been dealing with a loss of appetite due to the depression. The medication also made me extremely drowsy, so I preferred to take it right before bedtime."