stories of lyte

Rick’s Story with Major Depressive Disorder

The patient and healthcare provider in this video are sharing their individual experiences. They have been compensated for their time. This promotional resource is brought to you by Johnson & Johnson.

Family is everything. I have known my wife since high school. I can’t imagine my life without her, and for that matter with my kids, my grandkids.

Rick

Patient Advocate with Major Depressive Disorder

They do truly mean everything. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, or MDD, in my early 20s. I tried several antidepressants over the years, and I found some relief at times, but the depression symptoms never really went away. In 2019, my oldest daughter passed away unexpectedly.

It was just a dark, dark period, and just the—just the worst possible feeling. One that’s hard to describe. I couldn’t find the happiness in what I did before. The activities, you know, the “Rick things”—riding my bike, or camping, or even being with family—just lost the luster because of the absence of my daughter.

My wife and I had to help raise our grandkids, which added stress and responsibility to my plate, and I think it was maybe that time that just kind of magnified, you know, some of the things that I had—the challenges that I had in my life. It really accentuated the helplessness, the fear, the anxiety that was kind of a part of my makeup.

Eventually, I started seeing my psychiatric nurse practitioner, Amy. She told me she noticed that I was really struggling and losing pleasure in life since my daughter’s death.

I heard about CAPLYTA (lumateperone). I asked Amy if she thought it could help me.

Amy Belnap

APRN, PMHNP-BC

CAPLYTA is an FDA-approved add-on treatment for major depressive disorder. This means it’s supposed to be taken with another antidepressant. CAPLYTA is proven to deliver greater relief from depression symptoms than an antidepressant alone.

Available by prescription only. CAPLYTA is not approved for people under 18.

Two out of three people with MDD do not achieve adequate relief from their first antidepressant alone. I thought adding CAPLYTA could help Rick achieve relief from his depression symptoms. I’m glad he brought CAPLYTA up to me.

When Amy and I first talked about CAPLYTA, we discussed my medical history and the medications I was taking, like my antidepressant. We talked about the potential benefits and the risks of adding CAPLYTA to my treatment plan.

I thought CAPLYTA was a good fit for Rick because of its proven efficacy. My patients tell me that the one pill, once-a-day dosing is convenient for them.

CAPLYTA also has a well-established safety profile, but everyone’s experience with CAPLYTA is different, and it’s not for everyone.

Keep watching to hear more of Rick’s story

Elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. CAPLYTA is not approved for dementia-related psychosis.

Elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. CAPLYTA is not approved for dementia-related psychosis.

Call your doctor about new or sudden mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts right away. Antidepressants may increase these risks.

Call your doctor about new or sudden mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts right away. Antidepressants may increase these risks.

Report fever, confusion, stiff muscles, which may be life-threatening, or uncontrolled muscle movements, which may be permanent.

Report fever, confusion, stiff muscles, which may be life-threatening, or uncontrolled muscle movements, which may be permanent.

High cholesterol and weight gain may occur, as can high blood sugar, which may be fatal.

High cholesterol and weight gain may occur, as can high blood sugar, which may be fatal. Monitoring is recommended.

Common side effects are sleepiness, dizziness, nausea, dry mouth, feeling tired, and diarrhea. These aren’t all the side effects.

Common side effects are sleepiness, dizziness, nausea, dry mouth, feeling tired, and diarrhea. These aren’t all the side effects.

We talk about all of this before a patient starts CAPLYTA. We also go over the Important Safety Information for CAPLYTA, which is included at the end of this video.

Please see Important Safety Information at the end of this video.

I always wondered when starting a new medication if it might cause me to gain weight. It was a relief to find out that weight gain wasn’t common in CAPLYTA clinical trials.

Hearing that, and feeling so supported by Amy, made me decide to give CAPLYTA a go. I’m happy that I did. My depression symptoms started improving. I finally felt like relief from my depression was possible. I began feeling more interested in my old hobbies again. Going to counseling and adding CAPLYTA to my antidepressant have made a big difference for me.

After starting treatment with CAPLYTA, Rick told me that he was starting to notice an improvement in his depression symptoms. I said his depression symptoms may continue improving over the next several months, but everyone’s experience is different. I’m glad that he trusted my perspective enough to try adding CAPLYTA to his current treatment plan for major depressive disorder.

I know Rick from the community. I know how many people he has helped in his job, in his employment, but he’s also helping himself and enjoying what he’s doing now, which is the part that was missing before.

Once I started to feel a lessening of—of my depression symptoms, I found it much easier to initiate interactions with friends and family, and it reminded me of—of the joy that family can be, and so I’m just excited for what the future has in store for me with my family.

Prior to taking CAPLYTA, I didn’t believe that I could be better. I didn’t think I could feel better. I just thought the depression I was in was—was just my life, was just me.

My darkest days of depression made me forget that I deserved to feel better. Amy helped me realize that I’m worth it. I’d encourage other people who are struggling to talk to their provider and ask if CAPLYTA could help them find relief from their depression symptoms.

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