Heard of this drug?
I just went a conference and the doctor speaking talked of it and said it looked promising. She said it has only been out a few weeks so she is not yet sure of how well it work for her patients.
Yes, I was put on Latuda but I don't have Bi-polar depression, just Major Depressive Disorder. My PCP changed it because she heard that some people were having success with it and it is supposed to not cause weight gain. I started on half dose for the first week then increased to 80 mg dose daily. I took this for approximately 2.5 months.
I found it to not only be ineffective but I began having serious side effects from it which the manufacturer's warning states can be permanent. I began having involuntary muscle movements, especially of my feet and legs, I could not control them and couldn't make them stop for more than a few seconds.
Before you start ANY new drug, do yourself a favor and do a simple Google search for information about it. Read testimonials (with an open mind and a grain of salt) from others who have used it. See if there have been any major complaints, you can also go to the website for the FDA and research for any known issues with this drug. Also, go to the manufacturer's website and read the Patient Information section. You should not make any decision like this when you are uninformed. This and ALL medications - even some available over the counter - have side effects. You have to educate yourself and then decide whether the potential benefits outweigh the possible side effects. Ask the doctor wanting to prescribe this for you if he has other patients taking it and what has been the outcome. If you still are unsure about it and can afford to do so, get a second opinion. You have to take charge of your own health care, we cannot rely on medical providers to necessarily do that for us any more. The present health care system is simply not set up to do that like it used to be. I am a retired RN who worked in mental health for 32 years as well as a mental health patient.