Latuda is not mainly for depression; it's an atypical antipsychotic which means it works as a mood stabilizer. It was first FDA approved to treat schizophrenia. Drugs approved for schizophrenia are routinely used to treat bipolar mania. Pharmaceutical companies get in trouble if they specifically market it that way, but they really don't need to. It's very expensive to get a drug approved for other uses; many ap's don't bother with mania specifically but get legitimately into the bipolar market by getting approved for bipolar depression.As I recall Abilify and Seroquel both sneaked their way in that way. I didn't think they did much for depression and I don't count on my Latuda for depression.

I've been on Latuda 4 or 5 years now and I've never become manic. How well it would work in the midst of a mania episode I don't know.I'd like to think it would bring me down. The times I've been floridly manic once Abilify brought me down and the other time I used Seroquel. It seems pretty well decided on that Zyprexa is the most effective aap after clozapine but has rotten side effects.

Some bipolar people won't take an SSRI at all because they're afraid it will tip them into mania. Without a mood stabilizer of some kind it's even trickier.