Haloperidol

Class

Indications

  • Schizophrenia

  • Acute psychotic states and delirium

    • Schizoaffective disorder

    • Delusional disorders

  • Ballism

  • Tourette syndrome (a drug of choice)

  • Occasionally as adjunctive therapy in mental retardation and the chorea of huntington disease

  • Intractable hiccups

  • ADHD

  • Severe nausea and vomiting

Administration/Absorption

  • Oral

  • IM

  • IV

Dosage

    • Plasma levels of 4 to 25 micrograms per liter are required for therapeutic action.

Distribution

  • 92% protein bound

Mechanism

Excretion

  • Plasma concentrations of haloperidol decanoate reach a peak at about 6 days after the injection, falling thereafter, with an approx. half-life of 3 weeks

  • Liver metabolism

Side effects

Interactions

Contraindications

  • Absolute

    • Preexisting coma, acute stroke

    • Severe intoxication with alcohol or other central depressant drugs

    • Known allergy against haloperidol or other butyrophenones or other drug ingredients

    • Known heart disease; when combined will tend towards cardiac arrest

  • Special caution needed