What is Lurasidone? Uses, warnings & side effects

Follow all the prescriber’s instructions.

Never take more than prescribed.

The dose may need to change, so be careful to take the currently prescribed dose.

Take only one dose daily.

Take lurasidone tablets with a meal of at least 350 calories.

Swallow the tablet with a drink of water.

Store lurasidone tablets at room temperature.

If a dose is missed take it when remembered.

If it’s almost time for the next dose, do not take the missed dose.

Take the next dose at its regular time.

Do not take extra medicine to make up for a missed dose.

Lurasidone isn’t 100% safe for everyone.

Lurasidone can’t be used in people who have had an allergic reaction to lurasidone.

Tell any doctor or other clinical professional who treats you that you are taking lurasidone.

The prescribing doctor needs to visit with you regularly, review treatment, and perform blood tests. This will help the doctor adjust doses and prevent serious side effects. Keep all appointments.

Before starting lurasidone, tell the prescriber about all your present and past medical conditions, particularly:

• Heart problems

• Stroke

• High or low blood pressure

• Diabetes or high blood sugar

• High cholesterol

• High triglycerides

• High prolactin levels

• Low white blood cell counts

• Any history of seizures

• Kidney problems

• Liver problems

Tell the prescriber if you’re pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed.

Make sure to review with the prescriber the most serious adverse effects caused by lurasidone treatment. You should be familiar with the clinical signs of some of these problems. The prescriber should tell you what to do when there are serious problems.

Serious adverse effects include: 

• Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (see the list of symptoms in the side effects section below)

• Suicidal thoughts and behaviors

• Stroke

• Involuntary facial and body movements (tardive dyskinesia)

• High blood sugar

• High cholesterol

• High-fat levels in the blood

• Elevated prolactin levels

• Weight gain

• Low blood pressure when standing up or changing position

• Increased risk of falls and injuries

• Increased risk of infections due to low white blood cell counts

• Seizures

• Mania or hypomania

• Difficulty swallowing

For some children, teenagers, and young adults, antipsychotics can worsen depression and bring on thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Contact the prescriber immediately about unusual changes in thoughts or behavior.  

Lurasidone can cause impairment, making people drowsy, dizzy, uncoordinated, and less able to think clearly. Do not drive or do any other hazardous activity until you know how this medicine affects you. 

Lurasidone can cause orthostatic hypotension, a condition that can make people lightheaded and faint when standing up or changing position. Stand or sit up slowly. Sit down if you feel lightheaded or dizzy.

Lurasidone can make it easy to overheat. Be careful when you exercise or are outside in hot or humid weather, and drink plenty of fluids.

Keep lurasidone tablets securely out of the reach of children.

It is unsafe to take lurasidone with many different types of drugs. Make sure the doctor knows about all the prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, supplements, and vitamins you take.

Drugs that should never be taken with lurasidone include:

• The macrolide antibiotics clarithromycin, telithromycin, and troleandomycin

• The antibiotics rifampin, rifamycin, rifapentine, and rifaximin

• The azole antifungals ketoconazole, levoketoconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole

• Antiviral drugs called protease inhibitors

• The COVID-19 drug Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir)

• The anti-seizure drugs carbamazepine, phenobarbital, fosphenytoin, primidone, and fosphenytoin

• The prostate cancer drugs apalutamide and enzalutamide

• The herbal supplement St. John’s wort

• Afasimibe, amiodarone, conivaptan, danazol, dexamethasone, diltiazem, ergotamine, idelalisib, lonafarnib, methimazole, mibefradil, midostaurin, mitotane, nefazodone, nilotinib, ribociclib, stiripentol, terfenadine

Drugs that can interact with lurasidone include:

• Other macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin

• The blood pressure medications diltiazem and verapamil

• Armodafinil, fluconazole, fluvoxamine, modafanil

Avoid drinking grapefruit juice or eating grapefruit if you’re taking lurasidone.

Tell other clinicians about lurasidone before they prescribe new medications. Check with your doctor when you start taking new prescription or nonprescription medications.