My psychiatrist added a starter dose of 20 mg Latuda about six months ago, or so (I forget exactly). I noticed very soon after that everything in life seemed clearer and my motivation increased. I'll confess that a few months in, I gradually started to become manic. My psychiatrist chose not to touch my Latuda 20 mg. Instead, as usual, he increased my Seroquel XR. It had been my psychiatrist's hope that the addition of Latuda may eventually help DECREASE my Seroquel XR dose. No luck, so far.

My conclusion about MY experience with Latuda is that it works primarily as an antidepressant. If the time comes that I need a medication with more antidepressant qualities (for pure depression, not mixed) maybe then the Latuda will be increased. In the meantime, not.

Since I'm only on 20 mg of Latuda, I have personally not experienced any side effects. As for weight, I have actually lost about 6 lbs since starting Latuda. I was a little up at a point, but then lost what I gained. Unlike many, I don't even feel that Seroquel XR is overly weight unfriendly...again, for me. At 600 mg of Seroquel XR, I do get a bit hungrier, but any binging tends to be more mood-related, than medication-related, for me. I have probably gained about 10 lbs on Seroquel XR (doses of 450 mg to 600 mg) during the last 4 or 5 years. Not months. I tend to feel that that weight gain may be similar as it could be, even if not on bipolar medications. I have been about my current weight 18 years ago, before ever taking a bipolar medication. I figure that in my late 40s, being my current weight is not that bad.