Latuda

[CHfather]

Over at ch.com, there's a post about a guy who has been in long-term remission since taking an antipsychotic, Latuda.  I mention this for two reasons: (1) the characteristics of his initial remission are much like the "slapbacks" associated with busting (see pasted part from that post below); and so (2) I figured maybe the interested folks here, like Ricardo and Purple, might be able to see whether there's anything about the mechanisms of action of this particular med that would possibly either make it emulate busting or that might shed light on why busting works (what receptors, etc.)

I fully realize that it could be coincidence or it could even be BS . . . just thought I'd mention it.

The post is at http://www.clusterheadaches.com/wwwboard2/index.html, and here's the main substance of it:

>>>>My husband, 46 and otherwise physically healthy, has suffered from cluster headaches since age 11. He's seen all the specialists and been prescribed all the typical (and some atypical) medications, to no avail.

- We'd even considered the 'magic mushroom' article we read as a possible treatment for his severe clusters, some 'mega-clusters' lasting six weeks.

Then a new doctor prescribed him Latuda for mood disorder. He was about two weeks into a mild cluster when he began taking the Latuda (40mg at first, eventually dosed up to 80mg). The headaches started acting funny - coming at different times of the day and in different waves than before...wobbling - within about a week of beginning the Latuda, and within two weeks had disappeared altogether.

We were uncertain whether the medication was the cause of this, as maybe the cluster was just a mild one to begin with, and would be back promptly as always.

That was nineteen months ago.

He has not had a single twinge of headache in 19 months - the first time in more than thirty years he's gone more than 6months without a cluster.

As this is the only thing he changed/added/supplemented during that time, we are convinced that this medication has somehow blocked his headaches. The doctor says he doesn't understand why it's working in this way, but it seems to be a 'happy bi-product' of the mood stabilization.<<<

[Potter]

Problem is when ya take a drug such as Latuda which is for schizophrenia  it immediately sets you up for a prex.  condition when you get health insurance.

       Potter

[Purple]

hmmm don't know, could be good, could be not. It seems to work on, amongst others, some of the receptors... I'm not informed enough to have an opinion, but it's an antagonist of serotonin and dopamine receptors, would maybe make sense that it works. "(...)serotonin 5HT2A receptors, properties shared by most second-generation antipsychotics. Lurasidone also has high affinity for serotonin 5HT7 (higher relative in vitro binding than for dopamine D2 and 5HT2A) and is a partial agonist at 5HT1A receptors; it is believed that these properties can be potentially related to effects on cognition and mood (7-9). However,(...)"

It's a fairly new med (2010 in USA)

good info about it here, it was approved by Health Canada less than a year ago

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodpharma/sbd-smd/drug-med/sbd_smd_2012_latuda_145406-eng.php

and here http://www.clinicalschizophrenia.net/pdfs/FeaturedPaper-Citrome.pdf

And I'm not sure I understand the outcomes that Potter points to for insurance

A French blog (France) says its probably never going to be approved in France because similar to other meds and verrrrrry expensive (all meds are covered by the state in France)

Adding this: CHfather, thanks for thinking I could have something interesting to say on this, but I actually don't really understand, for example, why SSRIs won't do anything to help us when they play in the same grounds... But I remember I heard recently Dr ... who was it again, the British Dr wanting to do research on psilo (Gotby?), anyways he was saying that psilocibin was very selective in the way they act with only certain serotonin receptors, and that that was why it was active the way it is, and I suppose this could be also the case with Latuda, but I really would need to read more to say something intelligent on the subject :-P

[Purple]

treatment for his severe clusters, some 'mega-clusters' lasting six weeks

that would be a rather short cycle for me... or does she mean one single 6 weeks attack? hmmm improbable

[diamondmaker]

From what I can tell it works on many of the same receptors, but in the opposite manner than most of the psychedelics (agonist vs antagonist)... except for maybe the 5HT-1A where it is a partial agonist.

[Purple]

From what I can tell it works on many of the same receptors, but in the opposite manner than most of the psychedelics (agonist vs antagonist)... except for maybe the 5HT-1A where it is a partial agonist.

Right...

So then acting the opposite as LSD and psilo on the same receptors, it is puzzling that it would also "treat" clusters.

...leads me to think it's not a particular action on any receptor that "treats" clusters, but rather that busting would work somewhat as an electroshock of the whole system of serotonin and dopamine, and other substances...

a "reseting" effect, which leads the brain and body to re-balance the system by itself... which would explain slapbacks, and the fact that it takes sometimes many busting attempts to get to definitive results, depending on how messed up is the situation in each of our particular cluster head and body (hope I'm making sense  ;D)

Not sure I would try the med. Maybe 

[didgens]

whats an anti-psychotic do to someone who isnt psychotic ? i had a good friend who's husband was a prescription addict .. they thought he may need these meds .. it was not good.  i'd be afraid to try this one.

just my 2 cents