Dont Let Stigma Create Self
Another unfortunate effect of stigmas is that, at times, even you believe in it. Here are a few tips on how to cope with stigma.
- Educate yourself and talk with your doctor
- Dont let your bipolar depression define you it is just one aspect of your life
- Join a support groupconnect with others and their loved ones who share your struggles
- Avoid self-doubt and shameyour condition is not your fault
Keep talking to your doctor and asking your loved ones for support.
Getting Support From Loved Ones
Ideally, once youre diagnosed with bipolar depression, your loved ones would understand and rally around you with encouragement and support. However, not all of your loved ones will completely understand your diagnosis and what would be helpful. Its OK.
This is your chance to help them understand your experiences and forge a stronger relationship.
Important Safety Information And Indications For Latuda
INCREASED MORTALITY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA-RELATED PSYCHOSIS and SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS
Increased risk of death in elderly people with dementia-related psychosis. Medicines like LATUDA can raise the risk of death in elderly people who have lost touch with reality due to confusion and memory loss . LATUDA is not approved for the treatment of people with dementia-related psychosis.
Antidepressant medicines may increase suicidal thoughts or behaviors in some children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment and when the dose is changed. Depression and other serious mental illnesses are the most important causes of suicidal thoughts and actions. Patients on antidepressants and their families or caregivers should watch for new or worsening depression symptoms, especially sudden changes in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. This is very important when an antidepressant medicine is started or when the dose is changed. Report any change in these symptoms immediately to the doctor.
LATUDA may cause serious side effects, including:
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Is There Risk Of Misuse With Latuda
Latuda hasnt been studied for misuse, and it isnt a controlled substance.
In studies of Latuda, there were no reports of behaviors that indicate dependence on this drug. But if you have a history of drug misuse, talk with your doctor before starting treatment with Latuda.
Dont use more Latuda than your doctor prescribes. Using more than this can lead to serious side effects.
What If I Miss A Dose
If you miss a dose of Latuda, take your missed dose as soon as you remember. If its almost time for your next dose, skip your missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time. Dont double up on missed doses, as this can increase your risk for side effects.
To help make sure that you dont miss a dose, try setting a reminder on your phone. A medication timer may be useful, too.
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What Should I Ask My Doctor
The sections above describe the typical dosages provided by the drug manufacturer. If your doctor recommends Latuda for you, they will prescribe the dosage thats right for you.
Remember, you shouldnt change your dosage of Latuda without your doctors approval. Only take Latuda exactly as prescribed. Talk with your doctor if you have questions or concerns about your current dosage.
Here are some examples of questions you may want to ask your doctor:
- How will my Latuda dose change if Im taking other medications?
- Are there any foods or supplements I should avoid while taking Latuda?
- Does my dosage of Latuda need to change if I have certain health conditions?
Can Depression Turn Into Something Else
Untreated depression increases the chance of risky behaviors such as drug or alcohol addiction. It also can ruin relationships, cause problems at work, and make it difficult to overcome serious illnesses.
Seasonal depression is identified by the timeless phenotype of atypical major depression. Both of these teams showed plasma ACTH and cortisol responses to CRH comparable to those seen in patients with hypothalamic CRH deficiency. We have actually likewise shown this pattern in clients with atypical depression examined in the postpartum period. Generally, atypical depression has a tendency to cause higher functional disability than various other types of depression. Atypical depression is a persistent how does the va rate depression syndrome that has a tendency to start earlier in life than other kinds of depression normally beginning in the adolescent years. Atypical depression is a specific kind of depression in which the signs and symptoms differ from the conventional standards. One signs and symptom specific to atypical depression is a short-term state of mind renovation in action to real or potential positive events.
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What Other Medications Interact With Latuda
Latuda relies on a liver enzyme called cytochrome P450 3A4 for metabolization in the body. Metabolization is when a drug is broken down to leave the body at an expected rate.
Any change in this process can either decrease the amount of Latuda in the bloodstream or increase the amount of Latuda in the bloodstream .
Because of this, Latuda should not be used with strong CYP3A4 inducers or potent CYP3A4 inhibitors .
The shortlist of these drugs includes:
- Biaxin
- Tegretol
- Vfend
Your healthcare provider may need to increase your dose if you are using Latuda with a moderate CYP3A4 inducer . If Latuda is used with a moderate CYP3A4 inhibitor , the starting dose should be reduced to 20 mg per day and increased to no more than 80 mg per day.
To avoid interactions, always advise your healthcare provider about any drugs you take, whether prescription, over-the-counter, herbal, nutritional, or recreational.
When Should I Take Latuda
You should take Latuda once each day. You can take the medication any time throughout the day. But its usually best to take it around the same time each day.
You should take Latuda with food thats at least 350 calories. So you may want to take Latuda after a meal. This helps your body absorb the drug better.
To make sure you dont miss a dose, you may want to use a medication reminder.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Latuda
The most common side effects of lurasidone include:
- sleepiness or drowsiness,
- Neurological Adverse Reactions in Patients with Parkinsonâs Disease or Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Clinical Trials Experience
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice.
Adults
The information below is derived from an integrated clinical study database for Latuda consisting of 3799 adult patients exposed to one or more doses of Latuda for the treatment of schizophrenia, and bipolar depression in placebo-controlled studies. This experience corresponds with a total experience of 1250.9 patient-years. A total of 1106 Latuda-treated patients had at least 24 weeks and 371 Latuda-treated patients had at least 52 weeks of exposure.
Adverse events during exposure to study treatment were obtained by general inquiry and voluntarily reported adverse experiences, as well as results from physical examinations, vital signs, ECGs, weights and laboratory investigations. Adverse experiences were recorded by clinical investigators using their own terminology. In order to provide a meaningful estimate of the proportion of individuals experiencing adverse events, events were grouped in standardized categories using MedDRA terminology.
Schizophrenia
Commonly Observed Adverse Reactions
Adolescents
Safety And Effectiveness Evaluations
Safety and effectiveness evaluations were performed at 3-month intervals, with additional visits scheduled if indicated due to adverse events or clinical worsening. The incidence and severity of treatment-emergent adverse events were recorded. Movement disorders were assessed using the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale , the Simpson-Angus Scale , and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale . Additional safety evaluations included weight, vital signs, hematology, chemistries, and urinalysis. Suicidal ideation and behavior were assessed using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale . The effectiveness of lurasidone was assessed using the Clinical Global Impressions Bipolar Version, Severity of illness scale at Baseline of the acute double-blind and 6-month extension studies and the Clinical Global Impression, Severity scale was utilized in the current 18-month continuation study . Both scales provide an overall rating of illness severity on a 7-point severity scale, with the CGI-BP-S providing bipolar-specific prompts.
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Side Effects In Children
Latuda is approved to treat schizophrenia in children ages 13 and older. The drug is also approved to treat bipolar depression in children ages 10 years and older.
The side effects of Latuda in children are similar to the side effects in adults. See the Mild side effects and Serious side effects sections above for more information.
Latuda has a boxed warning for the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the FDA. For more information, see FDA warnings at the beginning of this article.
Switching From Lithium To Latuda
Remember, Latuda can be used on its own to treat bipolar depression as what is known as MONOtherapy, or it can be taken along with another medication such as lithium or Depakote as an add-on therapy.
Because lithium use involves constant monitoring, has significant implications for pregnancy, and can be difficult to tolerate long term, switching from lithium to Latuda alone may be appealing to some patients.
Just keep in mind that the FDA has NOT approved Latuda as a treatment for bipolar mania or as a bipolar maintenance treatment.
Approving Latuda for bipolar depression and schizophrenia was as far as the FDA would go. Some countries such as the UK, Australia, and most of Europe have yet to give ANY approvals for Latuda.
In summary, switching from lithium to Latuda would be something that should only be carried out with a doctors approval and only under their close supervision.
It would be particularly important to monitor for mania and anyone with a history of serious manic episodes would probably only want to use Latuda as an add-on to a mood stabilizer, not as a substitute.
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Proactively Manage Your Triggers
Working closely with your doctor and getting support from your loved ones is essential when treating your bipolar depression. Another crucial part of your treatment is understanding and managing your triggers.
Triggers are external environmental factors that could set off an episode of depression. Once you know your triggers, you may be able to better manage them and your reactions.
Some triggers you should pay attention to include:
- Lack of sleepideally you should keep a regular sleep schedule
- Stressstress can include both good and bad life events. These events may include going away to college, getting married, giving birth, losing a loved one, financial strains, job loss, moving or a breakup/divorce
- Seasonal changessome episodes may follow a seasonal pattern
To help maintain and manage your triggers:
- Educate yourselflearn about bipolar depression and its challenges to be a better advocate for yourself
- Live healthyexercise regularly, eat balanced meals, and stick to a sleep schedule
- Stay connectedjoin a support group or talk with a loved one
- Monitor your moodstracking your sleep, activities, and feelings may help you see patterns and changes
Identifying and understanding your triggers is important. Becoming more aware of those factors can help you develop a plan to manage or avoid those triggers.
Rated For Schizophrenia Report
Latuda is a very comfortable drug it really helped me with my condition. Gave me the sleep at night the best sleep I ever had. I did experience some weight gain but it was a combination of invega and abilify not that much latuda. I do get stiff muscles at night which is not too comfy. Overall is the best drug I had been on so far. My weight gain was twenty pounds.
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Does Latuda Cause Side Effects
Latuda is an atypical antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia in adults and adolescents and major depressive episodes in bipolar 1 disorder.
Atypical antipsychotics like Latuda are considered the standard of care for treating schizophrenia. Additionally, in clinical studies lurasidone was shown to be effective in improving mood in many people struggling with bipolar depression.
Latuda can be taken alone or with either lithium or valproate. The exact mechanism of action of Latuda is not known. It may work by blocking receptors for several neurotransmitters in the brain. It binds to dopamine and serotonin type 2 receptors.
Common side effects of Latuda include
- sleepiness or drowsiness,
- restlessness or feeling a need to move around ,
- difficulty moving,
Serious side effects of Latuda include
- increased risk of stroke that can lead to death in elderly patients with dementia
- increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions especially in children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment
- neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- reduced white blood cell count
- decreased blood pressure especially when rising too quickly from a sitting or lying position
- difficulty swallowing.
Drug interactions of Latuda include medicines that interfere with the activity of CYP3A4 liver enzymes because co-administration with these medicines can alter the levels of Latuda in the blood.
Latuda May Improve Life Satisfaction Social Relationships In Bipolar Depression
Fan Q, et al. The impact of lurasidone on health-related quality of life among patients with bipolar depression: A post-hoc analysis. Presented at: NEI Congress Nov. 4-7 Colorado Springs .
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Latuda use was associated with statistically significant improvements on individual quality-of-life items compared with placebo among patients with bipolar depression.
Researchers reported results related to this treatment in a post-hoc analysis presented at NEI Congress.
Lurasidone is indicated for monotherapy treatment of adult and pediatric patients with depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder and as adjunctive therapy with lithium or valproate in adult patients with depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder,Kimberly Laubmeier, PhD, director of Health Economics and Outcomes Research at Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., said during a virtual presentation. In adults with bipolar depression, lurasidone was associated with improvement in health-related quality of life , as measured by the Quality of Life, Enjoyment and Satisfaction – Short Form total score. However, the impact of lurasidone on individual items of this measure has not yet been examined.
Further research is needed to understand the impact of lurasidone on HRQoL beyond 6 months, Laubmeier added.
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Drug Forms And Administration
Latuda comes as a tablet that you swallow. Youll likely take the medication once a day with a meal.
Abilify is available in several forms:
- a tablet that you swallow
- a tablet that dissolves in your mouth
- an oral solution that you swallow
- an intramuscular injection given by a healthcare professional
Youll likely take Abilify once a day, with or without food.
Questions About Taking Latuda
Below, we answer some common questions about taking Latuda.
- What if I miss a dose of Latuda? If you miss a dose of Latuda, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. But if its close to when your next dose is due, just skip the missed dose. Then, take your next scheduled dose as usual. If youre unsure about when to take your next dose, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
- Will I need to use Latuda long term? It depends on what youre using Latuda to treat. For schizophrenia, youll likely use the drug long term if Latuda works to manage your symptoms. For depressive episodes related to bipolar disorder, you may use the drug either short term or long term. Your doctor can discuss with you how long you should take Latuda.
- Can Latuda be chewed, crushed, or cut in half? No, you should not chew, crush, or cut Latuda tablets in half. Instead, you must take the tablets whole.
- Should I take Latuda with food? Yes, you should take Latuda with food that contains a minimum of 350 calories.
- How long does Latuda take to work? How long it takes for Latuda to work may vary from person to person. Talk with your doctor to find out how long Latuda will take before it starts working for your condition. Studies looked at Latudas effectiveness for schizophrenia and bipolar 1 disorder after 6 weeks of treatment. But your condition may respond to treatment sooner than that.
Find answers to some commonly asked questions about Latuda.
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What Other Medicines Are Like Latuda
In addition to Latuda , other atypical antipsychotic medications used in the treatment of both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia include:
Antipsychotic medications can help a person who has lost touch with reality. Antipsychotics are often combined with a mood stabilizer for longer-term therapy in bipolar disorder.
They are often used as a first treatment during an acute phase of mania in bipolar disorder. Studies have also shown that some atypical antipsychotics are helpful with bipolar depression and in the maintenance phase of treatment.
Will I Have Withdrawal Symptoms If I Stop Taking Latuda
No, you wont have withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking Latuda.
But, newborns who had exposure to an antipsychotic during the last trimester of pregnancy may have withdrawal symptoms after birth.
Possible withdrawal symptoms that a newborn may have include:
- agitation
boxed warning for increased risk of death in older adults with psychosis related to dementia. They also have a boxed warning for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, adolescents, and young adults. Boxed warnings are serious warnings from the Food and Drug Administration . For more information about these warnings, see the What are Latudas side effects? section above.
Unlike Abilify and Latuda, Vraylar is only used in adults.
To see a detailed breakdown of Latuda versus Abilify, check out this drug article. And, for a side-by-side comparison of Latuda and Vraylar, see this drug article.
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