Lurasidone and Depression: What Users Say (Page 3)

• lat...
• March 29, 2018

Lurasidone 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."

• Leo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 14, 2021

Lurasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I have bipolar II with generalized anxiety disorder. I have been on Latuda twice. The first time it was with Tegretol, which has a major drug interaction, but it worked well for me. The second time, I am currently on it. My doctor had me on 100 mg, but recently I had to back myself down to 60 mg. I have been going through this since 1996, so I have a little leeway with my medication dosage. Anyway, on 100 mg, I started experiencing evening depression when it started to get dark, as well as an overwhelming sense of dread. I don't know if this is the right medication for me, but I'm scared to have them change it. I don't know what to do about the Latuda. I do know that there is a major drug interaction between the Latuda and Wellbutrin. I can't say that it's working and I can't say that it isn't. I still lack motivation, which has always been one of my issues. I generally just don't feel happy. I don't really know what to think about the Latuda."

• Ano...
• November 28, 2015

Lurasidone for Schizophrenia "Needs to be taken with food. Worked well for about a year, then it gave me random bouts of severe depression and fatigue. I think when I was taking this, I had more homicidal thoughts. Thank God I don't suffer from these side effects anymore. I'll stick to my Abilify."

• DPa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2018

Lurasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I took Latuda for two months. It helped with the mania and crying spells, although it made me tired. I felt sluggish all the time. It worsens tardive dyskinesia. I felt restless at times and had severe anxiety. I worried about anything. I'm now on week three since quitting. The withdrawals were awful at first. I'm finally beginning to feel like myself again. I'm having headaches and mild depression, but so glad I quit. I wouldn't recommend this drug. The side effects and withdrawals are awful!!!"

• Sus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 13, 2018

Lurasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I took this medication for about 2 weeks, and it made my anxiety worse! I couldn’t stop the anxiety feeling and the depression. I was taking Abilify before Latuda, so I decided to go back on the Abilify, which really does help!"

• Ave...
• December 1, 2015

For Schizophrenia "Worked well the first two weeks, then started to lash out in anger: irritability. The drug made me a little depressed and fearful. I did have more energy, and the delusions calmed down a bit. Still hearing those darn voices in my head though."

• Blo...
• July 27, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Latuda for almost a year now. At first, it was great, it really made my moods stable. But now I have awful restless legs at night. It also has increased my appetite, I'm hungry all the time. I've gained 10 pounds on it even though it's supposed to be weight neutral. I'm constantly tired, have no motivation. It made my acne much worse. I'm going to try something else."

• Ste...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 26, 2015

For Schizophrenia "I've been on Latuda for a little under 2 and a half years. It almost completely stopped my psychotic symptoms except I still hear voices now and then, mainly when I try to go to sleep, but there are no delusions or paranoia while on the drug. I take Cogentin in combination with it because it causes me to shake a lot. Main side effects I experience include anhedonia, shakiness, jaw clenching, and inability to sit still. However, I'm happy with it because it actually works, while other antipsychotic meds I tried did not, and it doesn't cause the endless hunger that I experienced with drugs like Saphris, Haldol, Zyprexa, and Risperdal. It should be noted I am at the max daily dose, which is 160 mg."

• tlb...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 28, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder in 2008, aged 20. I have tried the vast majority of antipsychotics and generally don't tolerate them well. Weight gain and impaired memory and cognition were my main issues with the other antipsychotics. I've been on Latuda for 3 years now, first on 40 mg then on 80 mg, without any weight gain and no manic episodes, which is great. However, its antidepressant efficacy is limited, and I suffer depressive episodes when not on Lexapro. The slightly sedating effect of antipsychotics is still there, but it's mild, and it doesn't seem to impair my memory or cognition. It's an inconvenience to have to consume it with a meal, but that's no huge issue. I haven't experienced any adverse effects, although if I forget a dose I feel awful, restless, and angry, so I do think it has the potential to cause withdrawal effects. Overall, my functioning is much better than it was on Lithium. I am happy with Latuda even though it isn't perfect."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2019

For Schizophrenia "I swear this medication is making me feel like a 70-year-old. Ever since I started taking it, I feel angry, irritable, apathetic, always tired, no energy, not hungry at all. I have become extremely blank and absent to the people around me. I'm taking 60 mg, but most likely going to stop taking it. It took away my personality."

• Anonymous
• August 13, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "Was giving this drug to control emotions that were suppressed for 20 years of abuse and trafficking. The first 2 weeks were great. More positive emotions, panic attacks were low, then I had a PTSD trigger, and it's like the medication did the opposite of what it was supposed to do. My moods became more depressed, erratic. No positive outlook, not at a point of suicidal but close. I was sleeping constantly when taking this drug as well. Went from taking 40 mg and feeling paralyzed in my own body to taking 20 mg and feeling somewhat like a human being. I am also taking Ambien 7.5 mg. They took me off Latuda earlier this week and placed me on Xanax 0.5 mg, and I can already tell a difference: more positive and upbeat, also gained 20 lbs in 2 months on it."

• ano...
• October 23, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I was first put on 20 mg, then 40 mg. I was being treated for anxiety and depression. The first night, my entire arm went numb for a split second, and I felt like I blacked out, which led to a panic attack. I was encouraged to keep going. Over the next few weeks, I felt tired, dizzy, I experienced blurry vision and the inability to focus. I have trouble sometimes processing spoken language, but this medicine made it so I couldn't even read very well. I've not been doing very well in school. I have been nauseated, exhausted, had missed periods, and after a few weeks, I also started having insomnia and have not been able to sleep. I also had severe depression and violent urges. Nothing good has happened. This medicine is ruining me."

• Lai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2024

Lurasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I have a love-hate relationship with this 'magic pill.' It provided a bit of relief from hallucinations for me, but it came with loads of side effects. I had my thoughts going a mile a minute, a messed-up sleep schedule, and no motivation to do anything. Loaded up on calories and had an unwanted knack for junk food too. All of this, just for something that doesn't do enough. I had to switch for the better, and I'm glad I did. Hopefully, this new antipsychotic will work."

• Ski...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2024

Lurasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I have bipolar and have struggled with distressing visions and hallucinations. This is when Latuda was prescribed to me to get rid of these visions entirely. I was on 20 mg one month and 40 mg the second month before I stopped. I personally do not work well with this med. It provided a bit of relief from hallucinations for me, but it came with loads of side effects. I had my thoughts going a mile a minute, a screwed-up sleep schedule, and no motivation to do anything. Loaded up on calories and had an unwanted knack for junk food too. All of these awful side effects, just for something that didn't do enough. I had to switch, and I'm glad I did. Hopefully, a different antipsychotic will work better."

• Jen...
• June 30, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I had high hopes for Latuda for my depression. After my 1st dose, my anhedonia was immediately relieved and I could feel. It was amazing... It also quieted the chaos in my head, smothered out my anxiety/panic, and I was happy. After my 2nd dose of 10 mgs, I had no desire to speak or move. I wasn't tired, I was just completely blank. But, I didn't feel anxious, so I took my 3rd dose, and the following day, I began experiencing intense, excruciating pain in every muscle in my body, and all of my muscles were very tense. I have myofascial pain syndrome, but I never felt pain to that extent in my life. 4th and 5th doses, no change, and I just couldn't take the pain anymore... I'd still recommend giving it a shot though."

• Lin...
• November 4, 2022

For Borderline Personality Disorder "Horrible experience. First week, feeling tired all day, so tired that it was actually noticeable at work, didn't pay enough attention to anyone and couldn't concentrate. After two days, decided to take it at night, but this symptom remained the same. On my second week, I was not tired but completely apathetic, I had no impulse to do things -even though I had lots of things to do- and I felt guilty about being in bed all day. Had two episodes of extreme anxiety while on the medication -couldn't stop crying-, the second one at day 12 so decided to stop taking the medication."

• Sam...
• June 9, 2014

Lurasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I've had a horrible experience on this medicine. It makes me really irritable, even more depressed and anxious."

• Pho...
• December 15, 2017

Lurasidone for Bipolar Disorder "Horrible. Made me nauseous, headache, dizzy, off balance, extreme fatigue, irritable, crying, depressed, shaking, anxious."

• BBB...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2022

Lurasidone for Bipolar Disorder "I experienced depression after taking Latuda if I wasn’t asleep within 15 minutes of taking it."

• Oce...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 12, 2019

"Made me more depressed than I was. Felt lethargic and was totally not with it. Ended up sticking with Lexapro and added Klonopin 2 mgs per day as needed. Felt much better."