Dangers of Mixing Latuda and Alcohol
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Sitting in your psychiatrist’s office, you may feel nervous about starting a new prescription. After all, there’s a learning curve with any medication, especially when you’re trying to manage conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. What can you do while taking these prescriptions? What should you avoid? Can you even drink alcohol anymore? Let’s explore Latuda, its side effects, and its contraindications.
Available under the generic name lurasidone hydrochloride, Latuda is a popular antipsychotic medication designed to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It’s especially helpful for battling bouts of bipolar depression — the weeks-long lows you may experience from time to time.
Latuda works by blocking the action of certain dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain. This balances the levels of these neurotransmitters. Reducing excess dopamine alleviates psychotic symptoms like hallucinations and delusions, while enhancing serotonin activity regulates our mood. Additionally, blocking certain serotonin receptors improves cognition and reduces psychosis.
To summarize: by altering our serotonin and dopamine levels, Latuda (lurasidone) acts as an antidepressant and antipsychotic.
Unlike many antipsychotics, Latuda leaves most other receptors alone, meaning that we’re a bit less likely to experience serious complications like cognitive impairment, weight gain, and oversedation. However, we may still experience side effects after starting this medication:
Latuda side effects: long-term, they vary from person to person. We might observe instances of involuntary movement (tardive dyskinesia) and metabolic change. Discontinuing the medication may result in Latuda withdrawal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and dizziness. We shouldn’t try to stop taking the drug on our own — instead, it’s best to seek medical advice before making any changes.
Some side effects are a warning sign that something is very wrong. High blood sugar can be a major concern, especially for those of us with diabetes. Symptoms of hyperglycemia include confusion, frequent urination, excessive hunger or thirst, nausea, weakness, and fruit-scented breath. If your blood sugar levels seem to change after starting Latuda, or if you begin to have thoughts of suicide, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately.
Whenever we start a new medication, it’s important to be aware of how it will interact with other substances we eat or use. Antibiotics, antifungals, herbs (especially cannabis and St. John’s Wort), and even grapefruit can influence the effects of lurasidone hydrochloride. To prevent any problems, tell your doctor about all over-the-counter or prescription drugs you are currently taking.
It’s also important to be aware of how lifestyle choices will interact with Latuda. For example, since Latuda reduces our ability to regulate our body temperature, we should avoid dehydration, heavy exercise, and prolonged sun exposure to avoid overheating.
Drinking on lurasidone hydrochloride can also be a bad idea. Let’s explore the relationship between Latuda and alcohol, how these substances interact with one another, and the potential risks of combining them.
First, we need to consider the conditions Latuda is prescribed for and how alcohol can impact them. Those of us with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia may be more likely to drink heavily than the general population, which places us at increased risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Alcohol is the most misused substance among people diagnosed with schizophrenia. In fact, an estimated 24% to 36% of those diagnosed with schizophrenia have struggled with alcohol use disorder. The numbers are similar in the bipolar population — over 46% of those with bipolar disorder meet the criteria for AUD.
Ongoing alcohol misuse can worsen the symptoms of people with schizophrenia, placing us at increased risk of depression, suicidality, aggression, and acts of violence. Additionally, it heightens the likelihood of medication nonadherence, meaning that we probably won’t take our antipsychotics on time. This reduces the efficacy of our meds and may cause a resurgence of delusions or visual and auditory hallucinations.
If we’ve been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, especially if we have hallmarks of treatment-resistant bipolar, we should be mindful of our alcohol use. Research shows that AUD exposes those of us with this condition to risks like rapid cycling, mixed mania, frequent hospitalizations, and slower recovery from our symptoms.
Now that we understand how drinking can impact our underlying conditions, let’s explore the interaction of alcohol and Latuda.
While there is limited research about how drinking affects those of us taking Latuda, the available information paints an unsettling picture. Everyone will be affected by both lurasidone hydrochloride and alcohol differently; however, many trends have emerged.
Both alcohol and Latuda are central nervous system (CNS) depressants. This means they suppress automatic functions like breathing and the beating of our heart. Combining these drugs multiplies their depressant effects, which increases our risk of respiratory depression: slow, shallow breathing that may stop entirely.
Although respiratory depression is the main factor behind many overdoses, taking too much Latuda can also trigger seizures, low blood pressure, and an irregular heartbeat. These potentially fatal consequences should be top of mind when we think about drinking while on our antipsychotic. If you begin experiencing these symptoms, contact the poison control center at 800-222-1222 or call 911.
CNS depressants also affect our cognitive abilities. Mixing Latuda and alcohol may slow brain activity, increasing feelings of sedation and reducing our ability to make well-reasoned decisions. All told, CNS depressants can weaken our problem-solving skills, blunt our emotions, slow our processing speed, and impair our concentration. They might also increase our risk of delirium, leaving us dizzy and disoriented.
Orthostatic hypotension is an abrupt drop in blood pressure that happens when standing: if you’ve ever felt dizzy after suddenly changing positions, you’ve probably experienced it. As mentioned, Latuda can affect our blood pressure, which increases our chances of balance/stability-altering issues like orthostatic hypotension.
Even if we’ve taken Latuda for months or years, adding new substances to the mix can surprise us. Alcohol may enhance certain side effects of this drug, including confusion, nausea, and dizziness. As a result, tasks that aren’t usually difficult for us — like driving our car on familiar roadways or walking around the house — may become incredibly challenging, increasing our risk of accidents, falls, and other injury-causing incidents.
Fortunately, with some lifestyle changes and a dash of professional help, we can successfully avoid alcohol while taking Latuda. If you’re sober curious, consider trying one or more of these 10 actionable tips.
It will take some time and consistent effort, but applying any of these tips will be a step toward a healthier, happier life.
If your psychiatrist recommends Latuda, have an open and honest conversation with them about your lifestyle, including how much you drink. This medication can be incredibly effective for managing bipolar depression and schizophrenia, but its interaction with alcohol may pose a risk to your health and safety. Drinking while on Latuda can increase the risk of severe side effects, respiratory depression, and overdosing. However, for some of us, it’s the best medication for hallucinations, delusions, and depressive episodes.
If you’re ready to rethink your relationship with alcohol in preparation to start taking Latuda, Reframe can help. Our proven alcohol cessation app offers the support and scientific backing you need to make a sustainable, lasting change.
1. What is Latuda used for?
Latuda is used for the treatment of schizophrenia (specifically hallucinations and delusions) and bipolar depression.
2. Why can't you drink alcohol on antipsychotics?
Antipsychotics alter your brain chemistry. Many of them are CNS depressants, which increase your risk of respiratory and cardiac depression.
3. Can you drink alcohol while on Latuda?
It’s safest to avoid alcohol while drinking Latuda.
4. How much alcohol can you drink while on antipsychotics?
Experts recommend that we entirely abstain from alcohol while taking antipsychotic medications.
5. Does alcohol cancel out antipsychotics?
Yes, alcohol can reduce the efficacy of antipsychotics.
6. Can you drink alcohol with any other bipolar medications?
It is safest to avoid drinking while taking any bipolar medications.
7. Does alcohol make bipolar depression worse?
Yes, alcohol is a depressant, and it can worsen bipolar depression.
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