Article at a Glance:
There are several important points to remember about alcohol use and Latuda, including:
- It is common for people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder to struggle with alcohol use
- Alcohol use can make it harder to control the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
- Drugs like Latuda can help schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, however, they also have interactions with alcohol
- The side effects of Latuda and alcohol can amplify each other, which can be dangerous
- It is best to avoid alcohol if when taking Latuda
Latuda and Alcohol
Latuda is the brand name of the generic lurasidone. It is a prescription drug that is classified as an antipsychotic. Latuda is mainly used to treatschizophreniaandbipolar disorder.
Medical professionals know there are links between schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and alcohol use. Some people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder self-medicate their symptoms with alcohol. A significant issue, however, is that a struggle with alcohol can make schizophrenia and bipolar disorder much harder to treat.
Adding to the problem is that there are drugs like Latuda that can help treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However, drugs like Latuda have their own side effects and even interactions with alcohol. The combination of Latuda and alcohol can be dangerous, especially for someone who struggles with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or another mental health condition.
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Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Considerations
If you or a loved one has schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or anothermental health condition, it is very important to be careful when using alcohol, because:
- Alcohol isthe most common substancethat is misused by people who have schizophrenia.It is common for people with schizophrenia to struggle with alcohol use. A large study showed thatmore than 33 percentof people with schizophrenia have struggled with alcohol during their lifetimes.
- Doctors believe thatup to 45 percentof people with bipolar disorder have struggled with alcohol use.Doctors have foundthat sometimes people who have already been diagnosed with this condition later struggle with alcohol use. However, the opposite also can happen: someone struggling with alcohol use can develop bipolar disorder. Other times, bipolar disorder symptoms can start at the same time that someone starts to struggle with alcohol.
Regardless of the order in which the problems with bipolar disorder and alcohol start, doctors know that there is an important link between the two.
Learn more about these mental health conditions and substance abuse with these pages:
Alcohol and Latuda Side Effects
Alcohol and Latuda have many side effects in common because they are both central nervous system depressants. These side effects include:
- Drowsiness
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Risk of falls
One side effect that is unique to drugs like Latuda is drug-induced movement problems. It is sometimes hard for people who are taking drugs like Latuda to control their body movements. Some studies have shown that these movement problemsmay be worsenedby alcohol use oralcohol withdrawal.
The combination of these side effects from Latuda and alcohol can be dangerous, especially if the person drives a car. Because alcohol slows a person’s reaction time and the central nervous system is already being depressed, this can put the person at high risk of having an accident. This is even truer if the person is also having a drug-induced movement problem from Latuda. It is therefore very important for anyone on Latuda to not drive if they are going to drink alcohol.
Alcohol and Latuda Interactions
There are a few possible problems with using alcohol and Latuda together.
- Alcohol and Latuda can interact because they are both central nervous system depressants:This means that they both have a calming effect on the brain. The problem is, when they are used together, they may have additive effects. Their side effects can increase when taken together.
- Heavy alcohol use can interfere with a Latuda medication routine:An additional problem is that someone who struggles with alcohol use may be less likely to take their Latuda as prescribed. A person may miss doses, which can also lead to very serious problems.
Many Alcohol and Latuda Interactions Are Unknown
Many interactions between alcohol and Latuda are still unknown or unstudied. Doctors still do not fully understand the combination of alcohol and Latuda, especially in schizophrenia. The problem is that the extent of the interaction between alcohol and Latuda is not well studied.
When Latuda was first created, people who struggled with alcohol use wereexcludedfrommany of the studies, especially in patients with schizophrenia. These studies were designed to show how safe the drug was and how well it worked. Therefore, because alcohol use was not studied, it is not certain how safe it is to drink alcohol while on Latuda, especially if someone has schizophrenia.
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