Medication Guide
Lurasidone (Latuda) Side Effects and Uses
A plain-language guide to Lurasidone, an atypical antipsychotic. Learn how it helps, what it treats, how to take it and which side effects to know about.
Quick answer. Lurasidone (Latuda) is an atypical antipsychotic. Common lurasidone side effects include nausea, sleepiness, restlessness and trouble sleeping. The rare but serious ones, and when to get help, are listed under lurasidone side effects below. Never stop or change your dose on your own.
How Lurasidone Can Help You
Lurasidone is sold as Latuda. It acts on dopamine and serotonin to ease voices and false beliefs. It is also a first choice for bipolar depression. That low phase is one of the hardest parts of bipolar disorder to treat. It can lift the heaviness, hopelessness and slow thinking of the low phase.
Sleep, anxiety and agitation may improve in the first one to two weeks. Mood and thinking usually improve more over two to six weeks. People often describe it as the gray lifting. They have more energy, more interest and clearer thoughts.
Lurasidone is usually kind to weight and blood sugar next to many drugs like it. So it is a common choice for people who worry about weight gain or cholesterol.
Uses for Lurasidone
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar I depression, alone or with lithium or valproate
- Bipolar maintenance (off-label)
- Schizoaffective disorder (off-label)
How to Take Lurasidone
Lurasidone is usually taken once a day. Your prescriber decides the dose. It must be taken with food, at least 350 calories. Food helps your body absorb it. On an empty stomach you may get much less benefit. Many people take it with dinner.
Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice. They change how your body breaks down lurasidone. Tell your prescriber about every other medicine for the same reason. Your prescriber will check weight, blood sugar and cholesterol from time to time. They will also watch for restlessness or odd movements.
If you miss a dose, take it with a meal that day. Skip it if the next dose is close. Never double up. Do not stop on your own.
Lurasidone Side Effects
Common Side Effects
- Nausea
- Sleepiness
- Restlessness (akathisia)
- Trouble sleeping
- Tremor or stiff muscles
- Dizziness
- Anxiety
- High prolactin
Serious: Get Medical Help Promptly
- Death risk in older adults with dementia and psychosis (boxed warning)
- Suicidal thoughts in young people (boxed warning)
- Tardive dyskinesia (movements you cannot control, which may last)
- Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (high fever, stiff muscles, confusion)
- Big changes in blood sugar or cholesterol
How Lurasidone Works
Lurasidone blocks dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. This calms the extra signals tied to voices and false beliefs. It also acts on serotonin 5-HT7 and 5-HT1A receptors. That may help explain its effect on low mood.
Lurasidone has little effect on histamine receptors. That helps explain why it tends to cause less weight gain than many drugs like it. A liver enzyme called CYP3A4 breaks it down. That is why grapefruit and some other drugs can change its levels so much.
Before You Start Lurasidone
Share every medicine you take. Some strong drugs should not be taken with lurasidone. Examples are ketoconazole, clarithromycin, rifampin and some seizure drugs. Others need a change in plan. Also tell your prescriber about kidney or liver problems, diabetes, seizures and heart disease.
Lurasidone has a boxed warning about suicidal thoughts in young people who take medicine for depression. Watch for new or worse thoughts, mostly in the first weeks. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or call 911.
Lurasidone can make it harder to cool down. So drink enough fluids in hot weather. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk it through with your prescriber. You can learn more about bipolar disorder care by telehealth from anywhere in California.
Is Lurasidone Right for You?
Only a full evaluation with a prescriber can tell you if Lurasidone fits your symptoms, history and goals. Harpal Singh, PMHNP-BC offers psychiatric evaluations and ongoing medication management by telehealth anywhere in California.
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT CALL (888) 457-8124
Related Medication Guides
Other guides in the same group, written the same simple way. Being in one group does not mean you can swap one medicine for another.
- Brexpiprazole (Rexulti), atypical antipsychotic
- Cariprazine (Vraylar), atypical antipsychotic
- Clozapine (Clozaril), atypical antipsychotic
- Haloperidol (Haldol), typical (first-generation) antipsychotic
- Olanzapine (Zyprexa), atypical antipsychotic
- Paliperidone (Invega), atypical antipsychotic
FAQ
Questions About Lurasidone
Why do I have to take lurasidone with food?
Food greatly increases how much lurasidone your body absorbs. The label says to take it with at least 350 calories. Taking it on an empty stomach can make it much less effective.
Is lurasidone good for bipolar depression?
Yes. It is one of the few medicines FDA approved for the low phase of bipolar I disorder, alone or with lithium or valproate. Regular antidepressants can sometimes trigger mania in bipolar disorder, so options like lurasidone matter. Many people see mood improve within two to six weeks.
Will lurasidone make me gain weight?
Lurasidone is one of the more weight-neutral antipsychotics, and most people gain little or no weight. Your prescriber will still check weight and metabolic labs as a safety step. This is a common reason it is chosen.
What should I do about restlessness on lurasidone?
An inner restlessness called akathisia is one of the more common side effects of lurasidone. It is uncomfortable but treatable, so tell your prescriber soon. A change in dose or timing often helps.
Can I take lurasidone in the morning?
Timing is flexible as long as it is steady and taken with a real meal. Some people feel sleepy after a dose and prefer the evening. Work out the best time with your prescriber.
Why do I need to avoid grapefruit on lurasidone?
Grapefruit slows the liver enzyme that breaks down lurasidone. That can raise the level in your blood and make side effects more likely. It is safest to skip grapefruit and grapefruit juice while you take it.
How long does lurasidone take to work?
Some people notice better sleep and less anxiety in one to two weeks. Mood and thinking usually improve more over two to six weeks. Keep taking it with food every day and tell your prescriber how you feel.
Can I stop lurasidone once my mood lifts?
Feeling better usually means the medicine is working. Stopping suddenly can bring symptoms back. If stopping makes sense, your prescriber will plan it with you.