Taking Latuda to augment other BPD medications
February 2, 2020 6:56 PM Subscribe
YANM Psychiatrist. I may need to add something to my med schedule to help with persistent sadness that is interfering with my ability to go to work and socialize. Latuda is on the table. If you've taken Latuda, what was your experience with it?
Here are the pertinent details:
I have Bipolar II and GAD.
I take Lamictal (max prescribable dose), Laxapro, Klonopin, and Xanax.
Last year my psych and I added Abilify to help with the sadness. It worked immediately, but made me gain 30lbs and also made it impossible for me to cry. This was apparently me having the super rare side effects.
After I went off of it and waited, my psych and I decided try upping my Lamictal to the max dose. That worked reasonably well, and I was pleased to not have to add something new to my regimen.
Unfortunately, the sadness has returned. I only jolt out of it when adrenaline or caffeine hits.
So, Latuda. Do you have what I have (BPD II)? What was your experience with it?
Biggest concern is weight gain and loss of sex drive, but I'm told that's not typical.
Here are the pertinent details:
I have Bipolar II and GAD.
I take Lamictal (max prescribable dose), Laxapro, Klonopin, and Xanax.
Last year my psych and I added Abilify to help with the sadness. It worked immediately, but made me gain 30lbs and also made it impossible for me to cry. This was apparently me having the super rare side effects.
After I went off of it and waited, my psych and I decided try upping my Lamictal to the max dose. That worked reasonably well, and I was pleased to not have to add something new to my regimen.
Unfortunately, the sadness has returned. I only jolt out of it when adrenaline or caffeine hits.
So, Latuda. Do you have what I have (BPD II)? What was your experience with it?
Biggest concern is weight gain and loss of sex drive, but I'm told that's not typical.
I'm not BPD II, so YMMV, but I was prescribed it for the same reasons you were. (Abilify on top of existing psychopharm was working, but side effects were unpleasant) Anecdotally, I can tell you that Latuda did not replace the Abilify on its stated purpose, and the side effects from it were WILD. The extra appetite that Abilify confers went away almost immediately, but within a few days of starting Latuda, I found myself with uncontrollable muscle tremors, leading to exciting discoveries like "I can't drink the glass of water without shaking so badly I spill it all over myself!" and "I appear to be drooling out of one side of my mouth!" The side effects (mostly) went away with a decreased dose, but after a month or so, it was clearly not doing the job keeping the depression at bay, so I switched back to the Abilify.
I think I caught one of the rare side effects, so you should not take my anecdata as a given, but definitely keep an eye on whether it has the same effect on your mood as the Abilify.
posted by Mayor West at 9:13 AM on February 3, 2020
I think I caught one of the rare side effects, so you should not take my anecdata as a given, but definitely keep an eye on whether it has the same effect on your mood as the Abilify.
posted by Mayor West at 9:13 AM on February 3, 2020
I'm BPD II. I take Lamictal, Celexa and Konopin, and right now Quetiapine (which I hope to get off of soonish).
A few years back my doc tried putting me on Abilify. It gave me sort of hard to describe pent-up icky feelings, so then we tried Latuda.
I hated it. It was very hard to eat an extra 350 calories at night when I wasn't even hungry. I'm sure I gained weight but I didn't track how much. I didn't notice a difference in mood, but what I did notice that that a few hours after taking it I had this awful sense of dread and fear and it made me feel as though I had to go to bed RIGHT NOW, like I absolutely could not be in the world. Again, hard to explain. At the same time she took me off my SSRI and I basically developed such horrible anxiety I ended up off work for 3 months until we went back to my usual cocktail.
I think my response was pretty atypical. I know for me, it takes more SSRIs to lift my mood sometimes (while I monitor myself carefully for hypomania).
posted by kitcat at 9:48 AM on February 3, 2020
A few years back my doc tried putting me on Abilify. It gave me sort of hard to describe pent-up icky feelings, so then we tried Latuda.
I hated it. It was very hard to eat an extra 350 calories at night when I wasn't even hungry. I'm sure I gained weight but I didn't track how much. I didn't notice a difference in mood, but what I did notice that that a few hours after taking it I had this awful sense of dread and fear and it made me feel as though I had to go to bed RIGHT NOW, like I absolutely could not be in the world. Again, hard to explain. At the same time she took me off my SSRI and I basically developed such horrible anxiety I ended up off work for 3 months until we went back to my usual cocktail.
I think my response was pretty atypical. I know for me, it takes more SSRIs to lift my mood sometimes (while I monitor myself carefully for hypomania).
posted by kitcat at 9:48 AM on February 3, 2020
I have...atypical depression/bipolar II that doesn’t respond to most meds. I took Latuda and it made me numb and hungry, which was ok for a time (immediately postpartum) but not sustainable for more than 6 months. It was easy to taper off of though, nothing like an SSRI.
posted by tatiana wishbone at 10:52 AM on February 3, 2020
posted by tatiana wishbone at 10:52 AM on February 3, 2020
Atypical antipsychotics are such a roll of the dice for side effects. I gave up on Latuda because of the dread-and-fear-and-bedtime-NOW combo kitcat describes, but I got that same side effect even worse on Abilify and Zyprexa, and apparently lots of people don't get it at all on anything.
Latuda does have a reputation of having milder side effects than older atypicals, and I know people who love it.
(I've ended up with BP II on Lamictal/lithium/Seroquel, which works great for me, but apparently Seroquel isn't as sedating and weight-gainy for me as it is for most people.)
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:53 AM on February 3, 2020
Latuda does have a reputation of having milder side effects than older atypicals, and I know people who love it.
(I've ended up with BP II on Lamictal/lithium/Seroquel, which works great for me, but apparently Seroquel isn't as sedating and weight-gainy for me as it is for most people.)
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:53 AM on February 3, 2020
I take Latuda! I have bipolar and it really helps even my moods out. I take it in conjunction with Lamictal and this is by far the most successful meds cocktail I have ever used. It has kept me largely free of major depressive episodes for years.
The only problem is that ever since I went up to 40 mg my already negligible sex drive has been completely obliterated. But if that's the price for not having intrusive suicidal thoughts, I'll take it!
posted by zeusianfog at 1:49 PM on February 3, 2020
The only problem is that ever since I went up to 40 mg my already negligible sex drive has been completely obliterated. But if that's the price for not having intrusive suicidal thoughts, I'll take it!
posted by zeusianfog at 1:49 PM on February 3, 2020
Response by poster: This is all good to know. Unfortunately in California, Latuda costs nearly $2k without insurance, and nearly $400 with. 😩 I am going to have to find an alternative. Thank you all so much for your input.
posted by Kitchen Witch at 3:22 PM on February 3, 2020
posted by Kitchen Witch at 3:22 PM on February 3, 2020
Best answer: They have a discount card! It’s only $40 with it: Also BPD II and GAD and on a similar cocktail. Latuda significantly improved my ability to function and leveled out my mood. I found it actually reduced my appetite. I take it after dinner to make sure I get the 350 calories. One friend found it made her nauseous but as long as I get the calories I’m fine. When I first started it would make me very tired about 2-3 hours after I took it. That’s eased up. My doctor and I decided to go with it before something like Abilify so I can’t compare. I’ve been on it for about five years now. The only time I had trouble was when Celexa stopped working for me and I started getting frustrated/sad. We subbed in Zoloft and it’s been steady.
posted by mrcrow at 3:28 PM on February 3, 2020
posted by mrcrow at 3:28 PM on February 3, 2020
Response by poster: Oh my God. mrcrow, this will change everything for me if this works. Will keep you posted.
posted by Kitchen Witch at 3:47 PM on February 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Kitchen Witch at 3:47 PM on February 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
I really hope it does! Good luck and please check in (memail works too)!
posted by mrcrow at 4:32 PM on February 3, 2020
posted by mrcrow at 4:32 PM on February 3, 2020
The only way I was able to take it was through continuous samples from my doctor, who was very understanding about the prohibitive expense. Can’t hurt to ask!
posted by tatiana wishbone at 8:19 PM on February 3, 2020
posted by tatiana wishbone at 8:19 PM on February 3, 2020
Yeah, they seem to be handing out a shitton of samples. My doctor was basically throwing free ones at me. Do ask.
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:18 AM on February 4, 2020
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:18 AM on February 4, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
No weight gain to speak of. There has definitely been a loss of sex drive in the period where I've taken it, but I'm not sure I'd attribute it entirely to the Latuda (there are other environmental factors in play.)
posted by SpiffyRob at 6:56 AM on February 3, 2020