Most medical professionals may feel a bit lost trying to navigate Latuda withdrawal. The potential complications may require a residential setting.
Antipsychotics, like Latuda, are generally given to someone in crisis. But does that always mean that a lifetime of being medicated is necessary?
Do Your Symptoms
Require Latuda?
Alternative to Meds has been guiding Latuda and other similar antipsychotic withdrawals and Latuda alternatives for over 15 years. We have published evidence regarding our success. We find that many times, the causes of the psychosis may have been transient, that other street drugs may have been involved, that blood sugar imbalances may have played a part, and that the person might have even been misdiagnosed. And considering the side-effects of a medication like Latuda, investigating other options is certainly warranted.
Latuda: atypical antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia and depression associated with bipolar disorder.
FDA warns safety is not established for use in pediatric populations, increased suicide risk under age 25, increased mortality in dementia patients 65+.
Latuda is a relatively new drug, approved by the FDA in 2013. While the medical literature on Latuda widely suggests that it is safe to take as prescribed, can help someone with schizophrenia think more clearly, helps with bipolar depressive episodes, and can raise the quality of life for some, nonetheless, certain precautions should inform the decision to start or stop Latuda. Following are some topics that may be helpful in learning more about this antipsychotic medication.
15 Years Experience by Professionals Who Understand Your Journey.
Latuda (lurasidone) was approved by the FDA for treating adult schizophrenia and for depressive episodes in bipolar patients. The medication carries warning labels for the pediatric (child/adolescent) population ( under age 25 ), particularly in relation to increased suicidality for this age group.3
Elderly patients with symptoms of dementia should not be prescribed because of the increased risk of death in that segment of the population.
There is not sufficient evidence that establishes whether Latuda helps with treating manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder.
Antipsychotic drugs like Latuda are commonly used in a crisis situation, such as an extreme episode of psychosis. Assessment as to whether the situation was temporary is often not engaged in, and the patient may be left on the medication for a much longer time than was necessary. It may be easier to find a doctor to prescribe Latuda than one who is confident or familiar enough to taper the patient off when the time comes. A person in this predicament would be well-advised to seek a treatment facility that has the kind of medical expertise that is needed to successfully resolve this possible situation.
Latuda (Lurasidone) Alternative Names and Slang
Latuda is the trade name for the generic drug lurasidone. Latuda is also sold under many other trade names, as the medication is sold in various countries. In India, for example, the drug is sold under various brand names:
Atlura
Lurace
Luratic
Luramax
Luratrend
Tablura
And many others
The generic active ingredient is lurasidone. Lurasidone is nearly identical in molecular structure to certain other antipsychotic medications, such as Risperdal, Fanapt, and Invega.
No evidence has been found of Latuda being popularized as a street drug, or having acquired a street “nickname.”
Latuda (Lurasidone) Side Effects
Many patients taking Latuda may experience mild or no severe side effects. Where side effects do present, these can be severe and some rare side effects may come on quickly and can be potentially life-threatening. Some severe side effects include the following, which are common in up to 22% of persons on Latuda:
Latuda Side Effects include:
Akathisia (motor movement disorder accompanied by a relentless compulsion to stay in motion)
Tardive dyskinesia* ( usually irreversible movement disorder involving twisting or writhing, spasmodic gestures, rolling tongue, facial movements, etc.)
Hyperkinesia ( movement disorder attributed mostly to children meaning over-active)
Dystonia (abnormal posture or spasmodic muscles from drug reaction)
Severe Dystonia ( repeating spasmodic or twisted muscle movements which can be painful and irrepressible )
Parkinsonism ( muscle rigidity or slowness that looks like Parkinson’s but is drug-induced )
Extrapyramidal disorder ( refers to a number of neurological movement disorders involving spasmodic or unnatural fixed or repeating muscle movements or gestures or postures )
Insomnia
Restlessness. agitation
Tachycardia ( elevated heart rate when the body is at rest )
Increased rate of Infections including urinary tract infection
Influenza type symptomology
*Tardive dyskinesia is drug-induced in 20% to 50% of all patients taking antipsychotic medications, and TD occurs with a wide variety of other classes of drugs as well, according to Cornett et al’s study published in the summer of 2017.
Severe but less common side effects include:
Suicidal behavior (19 more suicides occurred during short term (8 weeks) trials compared to placebo in each group of 1000 participants during these clinical trials) 1
Suicidal ideation
NMS, or Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: symptoms include altered mental state, irregular heartbeat/blood pressure, tachycardia (elevated heart rate), rigidity in muscles, diaphoresis (acute sweating as a drug reaction), acute renal failure (kidney failure), and hyperpyrexia (fever above 106.7°F).1
Seizure
Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar level) leading to coma or death
Stevens-Johnson syndrome (potentially fatal reaction to drugs, causes fever, raised hives or welts that erupt, crust, and cause the skin to fall away, susceptible to sepsis and requires care in ICU or burn unit)
Anemia
Infants born to mothers taking Latuda may show withdrawal symptoms after the child is born, including extrapyramidal, respiratory, cardiovascular, and other signs of distress.
Less severe common side effects include these:
Breast enlargement
Painful breasts
Diarrhea
Constipation
Weight gain 2
Hot flashes
Somnolence (unusually long, deep periods of sleep)
Anxiety
Drooling
Hyperventilation
Heartburn/indigestion
Irritability
Drowsiness
Belching
Swollen glands
Muscle pains, aches
Vomiting
Hives
Sores, ulcers or white spots in the mouth or on the lips
Swelling in the feet, hands, or limbs
Fixed position of the eye, inability to move the eye
Temporary blindness
Unable to open the mouth, inability to speak
Spasm of the eyelid, blinking
Severe headache that may come on suddenly
Unusual expressions of the face
Chest pains
Trouble with breathing
Speech difficult to articulate, slurring of speech
Feeling like fainting especially when rising from a seated or lying position
Lack of motion in the body (does not move the body)
Cannot stop the body from moving, pacing, rocking, marching, etc.
Fixed expression, mask-like face
Slowed reflexes
Shuffles when walking
Moves very slow
Shaking or trembling in the hands, arms, feet or the legs
There may be other symptoms not listed here. Should side effects become noticeably uncomfortable, one should seek medical attention right away.
Latuda (Lurasidone) Withdrawal Symptoms
Latuda withdrawal symptoms may be quite mild for some, while for others the withdrawals can be severe and extremely hard to tolerate. There are safety reasons why withdrawal from an atypical antipsychotic drug such as Latuda should only be done in a setting where careful monitoring and guidance are offered, and inpatient if possible so that even small changes in symptoms can be addressed quickly.
Latuda is a relatively new drug and there is an accumulating body of information that shows anecdotal reports of symptoms and difficulties during withdrawal. The problem with citing anecdotal reports is that there is lacking contextual data or lab testing, etc., to really analyze properly. However, as there have been ZERO clinical trials concerning Latuda withdrawal. we are limited to reports sourced from personal stories. Below, some of these are described as of the time of writing this article.
Reports of Latuda Withdrawal Symptoms Include:
Jaw clenching
Extreme anxiety, constant worry about the future, etc.
Suicidal ideation ( can be relentless, occurring daily )
Embarrassing spontaneous crying outbursts for no reason in classroom or workplace
Anger that doesn’t subside
Akathisia* ( overwhelming internal distress, with a compulsion to rock, march, pace, etc. )
Extreme and quickly changing mood swings, i.e., minute to minute going from sad to angry to depressed, etc.
Depression
Nausea
Chronic insomnia
Blinking the eyes continuously, unable to stop this behavior
Memory loss
Extreme restlessness
Unbearable itching to the point of scratching the skin away
Daily panic attacks ( reported as not present before taking the drug )
*According to author Amber Watson of MedicalNewsToday online publication, there haven’t been medical studies on akathisia or other Latuda withdrawals as of June 2020.
Getting Off Latuda (Lurasidone)
Unless a medical emergency arises where the drug must be immediately withdrawn to save the patient’s life, as in Steven-Johnson syndrome, NMS, or similar, Latuda cessation is typically recommended to be done on a gradual tapering basis.
Clinical trials on Latuda withdrawal symptoms could not be found. However, the FDA label information on Latuda suggests that careful monitoring is recommended when decreasing the dosage of this drug.
It is thought that Latuda may deflect dopamine from the D2 receptor. This could reduce depressive or psychotic symptoms.
As is the case with most drugs, the body has the ability to adapt which limits, over time, the effectiveness of medication such as Latuda. The body may begin to create more dopamine receptors, which can make withdrawal from an antipsychotic as challenging or even more so than quitting heroin or benzodiazepine drugs.
Based on the aforementioned theory of the drug’s capacity to restrict dopamine, when the drug is reduced this may cause dopamine expression to resume, allowing a flood into up-regulated receptors. This may clinically present as a rapid onset of psychosis.
There may be a point where the patient becomes resistive or unable to follow pragmatic guidelines and directions, where such changes occur. In this case, working closely with a physician with hospital admitting privileges is highly advised to regain control in an effective yet compassionate way.
It is probably more manageable in extreme cases to hospitalize the patient under the care of trusted physicians, so that after stabilization, resuming the taper at a slower pace may be able to be considered. Such considerations are more relevant in cases where the patient has been medicated for many years.
With such careful procedures, many patients can transition to either being completely medication-free or to the smallest possible dose that yet supports the highest possible quality of life.
Latuda (Lurasidone) FAQs
Information is provided below on some of the most frequently asked questions regarding Latuda, such as drug class and whether it has any efficacy as a sleep aid.
Is Latuda an Antidepressant?
No. Latuda is an atypical antipsychotic medication mainly used in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, for depressive episodes in bipolar patients, the drug has been used to treat such periodic symptoms. It is not shown effective in treating the manic side of bipolar.
Is Latuda Used as a Sleep Aid?
Latuda is a relatively new antipsychotic medication, which is not classed as a sleep aid. In some cases where it is prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia, Latuda causes somnolence, meaning extraordinarily long and deep sleep patterns. But no bonafide therapeutic use to treat insomnia per se can be found in medical literature to date which would support this practice.4
Treatment for Latuda (Lurasidone) Abuse and Addiction?
Latuda is a relatively new medication and likely there is more to learn about its effects and efficacy in treating schizophrenia and depressive episodes in bipolar diagnoses.
What we do know is that prior to prescribing medications, often there is little to no investigative work done to isolate possible causes for the conditions that are problematic and need to be resolved.
Latuda is not a drug that is typically associated with abuse or addiction or addictive behaviors. However, withdrawal from a drug that causes dependence can be complex, requiring a specific and uniquely tailored program for the individual to successfully overcome the symptoms that became problematic during cessation, and also to address the reasons for the prescription in the first place.
To help understand what Latuda does to the brain, Alternative to Meds Center has accumulated data from genetic studies we have done, wherein we have observed an association between certain conditions of psychosis, as well as low mood, with the COMT (enzymatic degradation effect) causing genetic polymorphism.
One possible theory to explain this correlation, at least in part, could point to the way that the biological or neuronal pathways for dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline function, specifically in regards to these effects on the limbic system, or emotional brain.
Further, if a person’s ability to break down dopamine results from COMT impairment, it would follow that the person may be suffering from an excess of dopamine.
Latuda Withdrawal Treatment at Alternative to Meds Center
More study and ongoing research is needed in the field of mental health on these and other aspects of the way certain drugs may affect the workings of the brain. The FDA is constantly publishing new warnings on heavy drugs such as Latuda.5
Nonetheless, at Alternative to Meds Center, we address all practical aspects of recovering from medication withdrawals, including investigating and treating the symptoms that were being medicated.
There may be other solutions that do not include prescription medication which tends to only mask symptoms, and only temporarily. Please contact Alternative to Meds Center for more information on therapies that may prove beneficial in resolving the challenges to your health. Such problems may respond surprisingly well to natural mental health treatment. You may be able to begin to experience the relief from Latuda withdrawal symptoms and side effects that you have been seeking, without relying on prescription medication for life.
3. NAMI authors, “Lurasidone (latuda).” Factsheet, a collaboration between NAMI (the National Alliance for Mental Health) and The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists, under the Creative Commons Attribution License [cited 2020 Nov 30]
Diane is an avid supporter and researcher of natural mental health strategies. Diane received her medical writing and science communication certification through Stanford University and has published over 3 million words on the topics of holistic health, addiction, recovery, and alternative medicine. She has proudly worked with the Alternative to Meds Center since its inception and is grateful for the opportunity to help the founding members develop this world-class center that has helped so many thousands regain natural mental health.
Medical Disclaimer: Nothing on this Website is intended to be taken as medical advice. The information provided on the website is intended to encourage, not replace, direct patient-health professional relationships. Always consult with your doctor before altering your medications. Adding nutritional supplements may alter the effect of medication. Any medication changes should be done only after proper evaluation and under medical supervision.
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Latuda (lurasidone) was approved by the FDA for treating adult schizophrenia and for depressive episodes in bipolar patients. The medication carries warning labels for the pediatric (child/adolescent) population ( under age 25 ), particularly in relation to increased suicidality for this age group.3
Latuda withdrawal symptoms may be quite mild for some, while for others the withdrawals can be severe and extremely hard to tolerate. There are safety reasons why withdrawal from an atypical antipsychotic drug such as Latuda should only be done in a setting where careful monitoring and guidance are offered, and inpatient if possible so that even small changes in symptoms can be addressed quickly.
Clinical trials on Latuda withdrawal symptoms could not be found. However, the FDA label information on Latuda suggests that careful monitoring is recommended when decreasing the dosage of this drug.
To help understand what Latuda does to the brain, Alternative to Meds Center has accumulated data from genetic studies we have done, wherein we have observed an association between certain conditions of psychosis, as well as low mood, with the COMT (enzymatic degradation effect) causing genetic polymorphism.
Nonetheless, at Alternative to Meds Center, we address all practical aspects of recovering from medication withdrawals, including investigating and treating the symptoms that were being medicated.
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