Some people think that schizophrenia means split or multiple personalities, but this is not true. Schizophrenia is a long-term mental disorder that disrupts a person’s thoughts and how they understand the world around them. The illness can make it harder for people to get involved in social events or keep up their relationships with friends and family. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality, which can be very distressing for them and their loved ones. Scientists don’t know exactly what causes schizophrenia, but it is thought to be linked to too much or too little of certain chemicals in the brain. Dr. Vadim Baram has over 15 years of experience as a psychiatrist and Edgar Thomas has been his patient for many years. Edgar shared when he first began having symptoms of schizophrenia: “I started hearing voices, mostly telling me to hurt myself, but also I had feelings of paranoia, like people were out to get me. I knew something was wrong. My oldest daughter was helping me go into the hospital and check myself in.” Dr. Baram explained more about how a psychiatrist makes a diagnosis of schizophrenia: “For diagnosis, a patient must show two or more symptoms for a significant portion of the time over at least one month. These symptoms could include delusions (altered reality), hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that aren’t there), disorganized speech, very disorganized behavior, apathy, lack of emotion and difficulty concentrating. Doctors and researchers use rating scales to measure symptoms and track treatment response in schizophrenia.” Edgar says that when he went to the hospital and met Dr. Baram, he explained his symptoms and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. “He seemed like he was concerned,” says Edgar. “He worked with each issue by itself.” In addition to a psychiatrist, behavioral therapy and psychiatric therapy, medication is used to treat schizophrenia. Many treatment options are available and finding the right treatment that works for each individual is important. It can feel uncomfortable to talk about schizophrenia, but it’s important to seek out advice from a medical professional, gather information about the disease and discuss symptoms to find the appropriate treatment. One treatment that psychiatrists may prescribe is CAPLYTA, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in 2019 as an effective treatment for schizophrenia in adults. This medication is a once-a-day pill where the starting dose is the effective dose. That means patients are on the right dose from the start. In two clinical trials, CAPLYTA was proven to help control symptoms of schizophrenia. In both clinical trials, CAPLYTA was significantly better than a sugar pill (or placebo) at managing schizophrenia symptoms. Patients taking this medication also showed an improvement in the overall severity of their condition, which was measured by a schizophrenia rating scale. It’s important for patients and caregivers to know that CAPLYTA is not for everyone. CAPLYTA can cause serious side effects. Elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. CAPLYTA is not approved for dementia. Patients taking CAPLYTA should call their doctor about fever, stiff muscles or confusion, which can mean a life-threatening reaction or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be permanent. Dizziness upon standing, falls and impaired judgment may occur. People taking CAPLYTA should use caution before driving. The most common side effects include sleepiness and dry mouth. High cholesterol and weight gain may occur, as can high blood sugar, which may be fatal. Monitoring and blood tests may be needed. However, in short-term clinical trials, patients taking CAPLYTA had weight, cholesterol and blood sugar changes similar to a sugar pill. People should know that each drug has its own specific risk profile. In a long-term study of CAPLYTA for one year, patients had on average weight loss of seven pounds. Schizophrenia is complicated and so is treating it. Starting a new treatment can feel overwhelming, but your doctor and healthcare team will help you every step of the way. There are many schizophrenia medications. If you or a loved one are looking for a schizophrenia treatment, you should have a conversation with your doctor about your symptoms so they can find the best treatment. Caregivers are also important for people with schizophrenia, helping with day-to-day living, social and emotional support, and often with medical care. Edgar says, “By taking CAPLYTA, some of the progress I could see is when I talk to people, I don’t have to focus on the voices. I could focus on the communication that I’m having with the people that I’m with. And taking CAPLYTA is the only thing that worked for me. That’s why I’m sticking to it.” CAPLYTA® (lumateperone) capsules 42 mg is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with schizophrenia. Important Safety Information Medicines like CAPLYTA can raise the risk of death in elderly people who have lost touch with reality (psychosis) due to confusion and memory loss (dementia). CAPLYTA is not approved for treating people with dementia-related psychosis. Tell your doctor right away if you have any of the following serious side effects:
Stroke (cerebrovascular problems) in elderly people that can lead to death.Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS): high fever, confusion, changes in your breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure, stiff muscles, and increased sweating; these may be symptoms of a rare but potentially fatal condition. Contact your doctor or go to the emergency room if you experience signs and symptoms of NMS.Uncontrolled body movements (tardive dyskinesia, TD) in your face, tongue, or other body parts. TD may not go away, even if you stop taking CAPLYTA. It may also occur after you stop taking your medication.Problems with your metabolism including high blood sugar, diabetes, increased fat (cholesterol and triglyceride) levels in your blood and weight gain. Your doctor should check your blood sugar, fat levels and weight before you start and during your treatment with CAPLYTA. Extremely high blood sugar levels can lead to coma or death. Tell your doctor if you have symptoms of high blood sugar, which include feeling very thirsty, hungry, sick to your stomach, weak/tired or needing to urinate more than usual.Low white blood cell count. Your doctor may do blood tests during the first few months of treatment with CAPLYTA.Decreased blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension). You may feel lightheaded, dizzy, or faint when you rise too quickly from a sitting or lying position.Falls. CAPLYTA may make you sleepy or dizzy, may cause a decrease in your blood pressure when changing position (orthostatic hypotension), and can slow your thinking and motor skills which may lead to falls that can cause broken bones or other injuries.Seizures (convulsions)Sleepiness and trouble concentrating: Until you know how CAPLYTA affects you, do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities.Problems controlling your body temperature so that you feel too warm. Avoid getting overheated or dehydrated while taking CAPLYTA.Difficulty swallowing
The most common side effects of CAPLYTA include sleepiness or drowsiness and dry mouth. These are not all of the possible side effects of CAPLYTA. You should notify your doctor if you become pregnant or intend to become pregnant while taking CAPLYTA. CAPLYTA may cause extrapyramidal (abnormal involuntary movements) and/or withdrawal symptoms in newborn babies exposed to CAPLYTA during the third trimester. When taking CAPLYTA, you should not breastfeed. Tell your doctor if you have liver problems and about all the medicines you’re taking, since there are some risks for drug interactions. Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice during treatment with CAPLYTA. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may affect the amount of CAPLYTA in your blood. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs. Contact Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. at 1-888-611-4824 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. Please click here for full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning. If you’re affected by schizophrenia, have a conversation with your doctor about CAPLYTA today. CAPLYTA is a registered trademark of Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. © 2021 Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. All rights reserved. 4/21 US-CAP-2100242
