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Latuda vs Abilify: All About Latuda, Usage, Side Effects, and Dosage

Approximately 3.2 million people in the US have schizophrenia and another 2.3 million Americans are diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Both mental disorders can be difficult to live with. Day to day activities are made difficult by increased anxiety or paranoia, mood swings, or a confused sense of reality.

The FDA-approved medication Latuda can help to ease the symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Read on to find out more about the usage, side effects, and dosages of Latuda, as well as the differences between Latuda vs Abilify.

Usage of Latuda

Latuda is an antipsychotic medication. It helps to change the way chemicals in the brain affect cognitive and psychosomatic feelings and behaviors.

It is designed to target the depressive symptoms of certain mental disorders. These include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Patients who take Latuda find that they can think more clearly and that feelings of nervousness dissipate. For some, Latuda may help to reduce hallucinations while boosting their mood, appetite, and overall level of energy.

Latuda can treat schizophrenia in patients who are 13 years or older or to treat bipolar disorder in patients who are 10 years or older.

Latuda has not been approved to treat patients with dementia.

Side Effects of Latuda

The most common side effects of Latuda are drowsiness, dizziness, and nausea. Less common are side effects such as weight gain, agitation, shaking, and an inability to keep still. On rare occasions, Latuda has effected patients’ sleeping patterns, causing either drooling or interrupted breathing.

Most of these side effects should go away after the first few weeks of taking Latuda.

If they continue after several weeks or worsen, talk to your doctor.

Latuda may also cause increased sensitivity to extremely high or low temperatures. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids when taking Latuda, as it is easier to suffer from overheating and dehydration when on it.

If you have diabetes or heart disease, tell your doctor before taking Latuda.

It is possible for the medication to cause a spike in blood sugar, which can cause diabetes to worsen. It is also possible for Latuda to raise blood fat levels, which can cause issues for those with heart disease. In some cases, it can lead to the development of heart disease in patients with diabetes.

The risk of experiencing any of these side effects increases if you consume alcohol while taking Latuda.

It is possible for some patients, especially teens and young adults, to experience an increase in suicidal thoughts in the early stages of taking antipsychotics. Be sure to remain mindful of your mental health when taking a new medication. Keep the line of communication between your doctors, your loved ones, and yourself open at all times.

Latuda and Proper Dosage

Your doctor will determine the exact dosage that you should take to achieve the best results. Latuda is frequently taken once a day and dosages tend to range between 20 and 120 milligrams. It is advised that you take Latuda with a meal or nausea may occur.

Never increase or decrease your dosage without instruction from your doctor. If you are feeling better, that is a sign that the medication is working, not that you no longer need it.

It may take a few weeks to start feeling the effects and increasing your dosage will not help you to feel the effects more quickly.

If, at any point, you decide that you no longer want to take Latuda, talk to your doctor. If you stop taking the medication abruptly, you will likely experience heavy to severe side effects. Instead, you should stop taking Latuda gradually by lowering your dosage little by little over time.

If you suddenly experience severe symptoms of any of the side effects listed above, you may have taken an overdose of the medication. In the event that this happens, go to the emergency room or call the poison control center immediately.

Differences Between Latuda vs Abilify

Latuda is designed to treat depressive episodes or symptoms associated with mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Abilify is often used to treat patients with the same disorders but works to manage manic episodes rather than depressive episodes.

Abilify is an antipsychotic that can also treat patients with Tourette’s syndrome, autism, and Major Depressive Disorder. Like Latuda, Abilify can help patients to think more clearly and reduce feelings of nervousness. However, Abilify is designed to have a calming effect to combat mania, whereas Latuda is designed to boost energy levels to combat feelings of depression.

Abilify is typically taken in the form of a tablet. However, there is a liquid injectable that may be administered in the event of a severe manic episode.

Ultimately, your doctor would likely pick Latuda over Abilify to treat your schizophrenia or bipolar disorder if she felt that you were at a higher risk to yourself during depressive episodes than manic episodes.

Where to Purchase Latuda

In order to purchase any antipsychotic, including Latuda, you must have a prescription from a doctor.

If you are unable to travel to a walk-in pharmacy or hope to save some money on your medical expenses, consider using 90 Day Meds. In many cases, we can get your prescription filled and delivered in as little as three to five days.

Talk to your doctor about Latuda vs Abilify if you think that either could improve your quality of life. Once you have a prescription, use our easy prescription uploading tool and we’ll get moving on filling your prescription!