Caplyta Dosages for Adults: Your GoodRx Guide
Key takeaways:
Caplyta (lumateperone) is an oral antipsychotic medication that can treat schizophrenia and bipolar depression. It’s only FDA approved for use in adults 18 and older.
The typical Caplyta dosage is 42 mg (1 capsule) by mouth once a day. But you may need a lower dose if you have liver problems or take certain medications. These adjusted Caplyta dosages range from 10.5 mg to 21 mg once a day. In some cases, you may need to avoid combining Caplyta with other medications.
There are ways to save on Caplyta. If you’re eligible, a manufacturer savings card can help you get Caplyta for as little as $0 per month for the first 2 months and $15 per prescription after that. A patient assistance program is also available.
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Table of contents
Caplyta (lumateperone) is an oral prescription medication that’s FDA approved to treat schizophrenia. It’s also approved for bipolar depression (depressive episodes due to bipolar 1 or 2 disorder). It’s an atypical antipsychotic medication.
Compared to some mental health medications, taking Caplyta is relatively simple. You only need to take one pill per day. And it doesn’t require you to gradually raise your dose in the beginning of treatment. But it’s still helpful to know how to take it and how to get answers to unexpected dosage questions.
In this guide, we’ll review typical Caplyta dosages, as well as what to do if you miss a dose or think you took too much.
Note: Caplyta isn’t approved for use in children. So this article will only cover typical adult dosage information.
What’s the typical Caplyta dosage?
The typical Caplyta dosage is 42 mg (1 capsule) by mouth once a day with or without food. This dosage is the same for both schizophrenia and bipolar depression treatment.
It doesn’t matter what time of day you take Caplyta, as long as you take it around the same time each day. This medication makes many people drowsy, so consider taking it in the evening or at bedtime if this happens to you. Nausea is also a common Caplyta side effect. Taking your doses with food may help lessen or prevent nausea.
What to expect: Antipsychotics, including Caplyta, tend to cause similar side effects. Learn about nine antipsychotic side effects — from dry mouth to weight gain — and how to manage them.
How to cope: One woman shares six tips for how she manages bipolar disorder — from following routines to developing coping strategies.
Which medications can treat bipolar: Caplyta is one of many medications that can help with bipolar disorder symptoms. Here, we detail common medications that treat this condition.
Are there any dosage adjustments for health conditions?
Certain people may need to take lower Caplyta dosages. These include people who have liver problems or take certain medications that interact with Caplyta.
Your prescriber will help you determine if you need a different Caplyta dose. Don’t change how you’re taking it without a healthcare professional’s guidance.
Good to know: Caplyta comes as 10.5 mg, 21 mg, and 42 mg capsules. If you need a lower dose, you’ll still only take one capsule once a day.
People with liver problems
Your liver plays a major role in clearing Caplyta from your body. If your liver isn’t working as expected, it can cause Caplyta to build up. This can increase your chance of side effects, such as drowsiness or nausea. If you have moderate to severe liver problems, your prescriber may lower your dose to 21 mg daily.
People who take certain medications that interact with Caplyta
Certain medications can change how quickly your liver breaks down Caplyta. Some (called inducers) speed up this process and can make Caplyta less effective. Others (called inhibitors) slow it down and can make Caplyta side effects more likely.
If you’re taking an inducer, it’s usually not recommended to take Caplyta. Examples of inducers include:
Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Equetro)
Phenobarbital
Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
Rifampin (Rifadin)
St. John’s wort
If you’re taking an inhibitor, Caplyta’s manufacturer recommends taking a lower dosage of either 10.5 mg or 21 mg once a day. Examples of inhibitors include:
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Clarithromycin (Biaxin XL)
Diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia XT, Taztia XT)
Dronedarone (Multaq)
Erythromycin (Ery-Tab)
Fluconazole (Diflucan)
Grapefruit juice
Ketoconazole tablets
Ritonavir (Norvir), and medications that contain it, such as Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir)
Verapamil (Verelan, Verelan PM)
Keep in mind that this isn’t a complete list of Caplyta interactions. Your pharmacist can help make sure you can safely take your medications together. Give them a complete list of both prescription and over-the-counter medications so they can better spot interacting medications.
What happens if you miss a dose of Caplyta?
If you miss a dose of Caplyta, take it as soon as you remember. Then, return to your usual schedule. However, if it’s close to the time of your next dose, skip the missed one and take your next dose at its regular time.
Never double up or take more than what’s prescribed for you to try to make up for missed doses. This can raise your risk of side effects.
What should you do if you take too much Caplyta?
The effects of taking too much Caplyta haven’t been well studied. But you may have more side effects than usual. Common ones include drowsiness, fatigue, and constipation. More serious side effects, such as movement problems and fainting, could also happen.
If you believe you’ve taken too much Caplyta, contact your prescriber (even if you’re not experiencing unusual side effects). They can let you know if you should seek further care. You can also call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for guidance. But if anything seems severe or life-threatening, call 911 or go to the nearest ER.
How to save on Caplyta
There are ways to save on Caplyta, which is only available as a brand-name medication. GoodRx can help you navigate between copay savings cards and patient assistance programs to save money on your prescription.
Save with a copay savings card. If you have commercial insurance, you may be eligible to pay as little as $0 per month for the first 2 months using a savings card from the manufacturer. After that, you may pay as little as $15 per prescription (up to a 90-day supply).
Save with patient assistance programs. If you’re uninsured or underinsured, you may be eligible for Caplyta’s patient assistance program, which offers the medication free of cost.
The bottom line
The typical Caplyta (lumateperone) dosage is 42 mg (1 capsule) by mouth once daily with or without food. Recommended dosages are the same for each of the medication’s FDA-approved uses. If you have liver problems or take medications that interact with Caplyta, your prescriber may suggest a lower dose for you. Lower Caplyta dosages range from 10.5 mg to 21 mg once a day. In some cases, you may need to avoid combining interacting medications altogether.
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References
Cooper, D., et al. (2023). Lumateperone. StatPearls.
Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (2023). Caplyta - lumateperone capsule [package insert].
MedlinePlus. (2020). Lumateperone.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2024). For healthcare professionals: FDA’s examples of drugs that interact with CYP enzymes and transporter systems.
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