Can you take Latuda and exercise?

Exercise has countless benefits for your physical and mental health. A good workout strengthens muscles and bones, improves brain function and mood, and helps manage stress. For people with mental health issues like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, exercise can be an easily forgotten, but crucial part of a treatment plan. But if you take Latuda to manage your condition, is it safe to work out? Are Latuda and exercise a safe combination? If you’re not sure how this medication could affect your workout routine, keep reading.

What is Latuda?

Latuda (lurasidone) is an atypical, or second-generation, antipsychotic medication prescribed to treat mood disorders such as schizophrenia and the depressive phases of bipolar disorder. It works by helping restore the balance of dopamine and serotonin in the brain—which may normalize thoughts and lessen feelings of sadness and anxiety. 

Can you exercise while taking antipsychotic medicine?

“Yes, in fact, moderate levels of exercise are advisable,” says Hans Watson, DO, neuropsychiatrist, diet expert, and author of The Two Rule Diet. Evidence suggests that exercise works together with antipsychotic medication to initiate nerve cell or neuron healing in the areas of the brain affected by psychosis. Weight gain is a common side effect from antipsychotic medication, so exercise is encouraged to help decrease weight gain. 

Additionally, “exercise may prevent the risk of health conditions linked to the treatment of major psychiatric disorders like weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol levels,” says Daniel Boyer, MD, a researcher at the Farr Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa. For most people, there are no downsides to exercising while taking Latuda. 

Does Latuda affect exercise?

Yes, Latuda may affect exercise performance. There are a few side effects of the medication that can make breaking a sweat a little more challenging.

• Sedation: “When first starting the medication, some people can experience some sedation,” explains Dr. Watson. This side effect often wears off after a couple weeks. In the meantime, you may need to reschedule workouts, or time your medication so it doesn’t interfere with your exercise schedule. 
• Heat sensitivity: “It makes people more sensitive to heat which is one of its side effects,” Dr. Boyer says. “This may greatly reduce your exercise performance, particularly during hot days.” If it is warm outside, consider exercising in the shade or indoors.
• Impaired cooling: Also, because Latuda can affect your body’s ability to effectively cool, “It’s advisable to stay very well hydrated and workout indoors, when possible,” Dr. Watson says. 
• Muscle problems: Rarely, people may develop muscle-related side effects, like extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and tardive dyskinesia (TD). EPS causes restlessness, tremor, and stiffness. TD symptoms include uncontrollable slow or jerky movements. “Moreover, some people may also experience rare side effects of Latuda like muscle stiffness, body pain, fatigue, and an irregular heartbeat that may also make exercise difficult,” Dr. Boyer says. 

Talk with your healthcare provider about possible side effects. However, if you’re cautious with strenuous exercise, watch your heat exposure, and drink enough water, you shouldn’t experience many problems. 

RELATED: Safety tips for working out in the heat

Does Latuda interact with pre-workout supplements?

Just because they are sold over the counter, it doesn’t mean that natural supplements are safe—especially if you have a mental health condition. There is evidence that stimulants may cause mania for certain patients, and patients with bipolar are more susceptible to this. Since pre-workout supplements often contain caffeine, it’s important to have a conversation with your healthcare provider to make sure you’re not consuming too much, and that the other ingredients are safe.

Various medications, like Cardizem (diltiazem), Ery-Tab (erythromycin), and fluconazole, can interact with Latuda. On top of that, certain foods, beverages, and other supplements cause issues. Grapefruit, grapefruit juice, and St. John’s wort all interact with the enzyme CYP3A4. Because this enzyme helps your body metabolize and eliminate Latuda, they can cause issues with this medication. Interestingly, Latuda is a medication that is better absorbed by taking it with 350 calories or more of food. Before taking any prescriptions or vitamins, check in with your provider or pharmacist to confirm that there are not drug interactions. 

Does exercise help with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder?

“Exercise helps with every mental health condition that I am familiar with,” Dr. Watson says. “This includes schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.” 

Exercise positively affects mood because it helps the body release natural endorphins, which are the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals. As endorphins increase, your mood improves. And, endorphins work quickly. Mental health medications like Latuda take several weeks to reach their full benefit. Exercise can have more immediate positive effects on your mood. “People should start seeing mental health improvements within a week or two of initiating a doctor-approved exercise regimen,” Dr. Watson adds. 

For this reason, healthcare providers often recommend exercise for individuals living with depression. Typically, this is also true for individuals with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. However, this is not always the case, as noted in a 2015 review of bipolar disorder and exercise. For some people, exercise helped ease hypomanic symptoms, improved sleep, and provided a calming effect. Conversely, for others with bipolar, exercise worsened manic symptoms and caused a spiraling effect of both manic and hypomanic episodes. Speak with your healthcare team before starting any exercise regimen, as they can help you better understand how your body may react. 

What exercise is best for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder?

There’s no evidence that any one specific exercise is best for individuals taking Latuda. However, there are some suggestions to get you started.

• Cardio with strength training: “Any moderate-intensity exercise that mixes strength training and cardio will be very helpful,” Dr. Watson says. Remember that the intensity of the exercise could cause issues if you’re at risk of overheating. Therefore, it’s best to start slow and in a cool environment until you know how you react.
• Yoga: “Other exercise activities like yoga that can lower stress and anxiety may effectively reduce symptoms,” says Dr. Boyer. The research agrees that yoga may help with mood disorders. Although it’s not widely researched, a 2015 study of 30 people with schizophrenia found daily yoga used alongside medications could help reduce symptom severity.
• Tai chi: Another helpful exercise for those with schizophrenia is tai chi, an ancient Chinese practice that combines deep breathing and relaxation with flowing movements. 

Can exercise trigger mania?

“While it is theoretically possible, there is a lack of evidence of exercise being the cause of a manic episode,” Dr. Watson says. Although sometimes a person experiencing mania may engage in extreme exercise, it likely doesn’t cause mania.

“Instead, there is a lot of evidence that moderate levels of exercise have an extremely calming effect on the body and therefore can lead to mania prevention,” says Dr. Watson.