Experiences with
Haloperidol

Haloperidol is a medicine that helps with mental health conditions such as:

confusion and aggression at the end of life (palliative care)
feelings of agitation or anxiety
schizophrenia, where you may see, hear or feel things that are not there, believe things that are not true, feel unusually suspicious, or have muddled thoughts
the mania symptoms of bipolar disorder, where your mood changes from feeling highly excited (mania) to feeling very low (depression)
severe confusion and aggression in Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, if other treatments have not worked

It's also used as an anti-sickness medicine to treat:

feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting) caused by general anaesthetics, used to put you to sleep for an operation
feeling or being sick at the end of life (palliative care)

It also treats some conditions that affect movement, such as severe Tourette's syndrome.

Haloperidol is an antipsychotic medicine that works by blocking certain types of nerve (neuron) activity in the brain. This can help with feelings of anxiety and other symptoms of mental health conditions. It also helps block activity in the area of the brain that controls feeling and being sick.

Haloperidol is only available on prescription.

It comes as tablets and as a liquid that you swallow. It can also be given as an injection but this is usually done in hospital.

Who can take haloperidol

Most adults can take haloperidol.

Children aged 6 years old and over can take it for some conditions if other treatments have not worked.

Children aged 1 year old and over can take it for confusion in end of life care (palliative care).

Who may not be able to take haloperidol

Haloperidol is not suitable for some people. To make sure it's safe for you, tell your doctor before starting to take it if you have:

ever had an allergic reaction to haloperidol or any other medicine
problems with your heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
a heart condition called long QT syndrome
severe heart failure
had any type of heart attack in the last 2 months
Parkinson's disease

Dosage

Your dose of haloperidol depends on why you're taking it. The usual dose for adults is from 1mg to 10mg per day.

You might take this as several small doses spread out through the day, or as 1 or 2 larger doses. Your doctor will advise you on when to take it.

Doses for children aged from 6 to 11 years old depend on their weight.

Your dose may change depending on how well it's working for you and whether you get any side effects.

Tell your doctor if you start or stop smoking, or if you suddenly change how much you smoke. Your dose of haloperidol may need to be changed.

Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water.

If you're taking haloperidol liquid, it will come with a plastic syringe to help you measure out the right dose. If you do not have one, ask a pharmacist for one. Do not use a kitchen teaspoon as it will not measure the right amount.

Haloperidol also comes as an injection, but this will usually be given by a nurse.

How long to take it for

If you're taking haloperidol for feeling or being sick, agitation or anxiety, you'll usually only need to take it for a short time.

If you're taking it for a mental health condition you may need to take it for a long time.

It's important to keep taking your medicine for as long as your doctor tells you. If you want to stop taking haloperidol, talk to your doctor first.

If you forget to take it

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, unless it's nearly time for your next dose. In this case, skip the missed dose and take the next dose at the usual time.

Do not take 2 doses to make up for a missed dose.

If you often forget doses it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

If you take too much

Taking too much haloperidol can be dangerous.

you've taken more than your prescribed dose of haloperidol

Get help from 111 online or call 111

If you need to go to A&E, do not drive. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring the haloperidol packet or leaflet inside it, any remaining medicine, and any other medicines you take.

It's important you do not suddenly stop taking haloperidol, unless a healthcare professional tells you to.

Suddenly stopping haloperidol can cause withdrawal effects, including feeling or being sick and having difficulty sleeping (insomnia).

It's usually best to reduce your dose gradually, especially if you've been taking it for a long time.

Sometimes, stopping haloperidol can make your symptoms come back. This can happen weeks or months after you finish a course. If this happens, talk to your doctor.

Common side effects

These common side effects of haloperidol happen in more than 1 in 100 people. They're usually mild and go away by themselves. There are things you can do to help cope with them:

Stop what you're doing and sit or lie down until you feel better. Do not drive, cycle or use tools or machinery.

This may improve as your body gets used to the medicine. If it does not improve, talk to your doctor. They may suggest changing to a different medicine, or taking a medicine for low blood pressure.

Get more fibre into your diet, such as fresh fruit, vegetables and cereals, and drink plenty of water. Try to exercise more regularly, for example, by going for a daily walk or run. If this does not help, talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

Try chewing sugar-free gum or sucking sugar-free sweets.

Do not drive, cycle or use tools or machinery while this is happening. If it lasts for more than a day or 2, or it bothers you, speak to your doctor.

Do not drive, cycle or use tools or machinery. It's best not to drink alcohol, as it will make you feel more tired.

This may get better as your body gets used to the medicine. Talk to your doctor if it carries on for longer than a week. They may be able to suggest a different medicine.

Avoid having a big meal, smoking, or drinking tea or coffee in the evening. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Try not to watch television or use your mobile phone before going to bed. Instead, try to relax for an hour before bedtime.

Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects are rare and happen in less than 1 in 10,000 people.

Call your doctor or call 111 straight away if you get:

severe constipation, sometimes with severe stomach pain
muscle stiffness or shaking
problems with your movement, such as feeling restless or problems controlling the movement of your arms or legs
uncontrollable movements of your face or tongue
a sudden high temperature or an infection
a fast or irregular heartbeat (your heart feels like it's pounding)

you have had a seizure or fit
you have a painful erection that lasts more than 2 hours – this may happen even when you're not having sex

Find your nearest A&E

Meds - serious side effects A&E safety messaging

In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to haloperidol.

Meds New IA (H4) - serious allergic reaction

Some people taking haloperidol for a long time get a movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia, which causes rhythmic movements of your tongue, face, mouth or jaw. Talk to your doctor if you get these symptoms.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of haloperidol. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

Haloperidol and pregnancy

There's no good evidence that taking haloperidol in early pregnancy will affect your baby.

Taking it in the weeks before birth may sometimes cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby. However, these symptoms do not last long. Your baby will be checked after they're born and given extra care if needed.

It's important that mental health conditions are well treated since these can affect both your and your baby's wellbeing. Good treatment is important because symptoms of a mental health condition can sometimes get worse during pregnancy and after your baby is born.

Speak to your doctor if you become pregnant. They'll help you decide on the best treatment for you and your baby.

Haloperidol and breastfeeding

If your doctor or health visitor says your baby is healthy, you can take haloperidol while breastfeeding.

It's important to keep taking haloperidol to keep you well. Breastfeeding will also benefit both you and your baby.

There's not much information about taking haloperidol while breastfeeding. It usually passes into breast milk in small amounts but occasionally it can pass into breast milk in larger amounts.

Taking a combination of antipsychotics can increase the risk of your baby getting side effects. Haloperidol has occasionally caused some side effects in breastfed babies when other medicines were taken at the same time.

Your doctor will advise you whether other medicines might be more suitable.

Talk to your health visitor, midwife, pharmacist or doctor as soon as possible if you have any concerns about your baby, including if:

they're not feeding or putting on weight as normal
they seem unusually sleepy or irritable
they're having sudden or jerky movements
they're being sick or have constipation

Haloperidol and fertility

Haloperidol can sometimes cause erectile dysfunction.

It can sometimes cause changes in your periods or stop you having periods.

Speak to your doctor if you get these side effects or you have any concerns about fertility while taking haloperidol.

Meds New IA (H2) - Pregnancy non-urgent care card

Cautions with other medicines

Some medicines and haloperidol do not work well together. This can increase the chance of side effects.

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you're taking any medicine that:

makes you sleepy or drowsy
gives you a dry mouth
can affect your heart, including any medicines that can affect your heart rhythm or rate, such as citalopram, escitalopram, flecainide, lithium or quinine
is used for treating erectile dysfunction, such as sildenafil (Viagra)

Taking haloperidol with other anti-sickness medicines

It's usually best to only take one type of medicine for feeling or being sick.

If haloperidol does not work for you, speak to your doctor. They may suggest a different medicine.

Mixing haloperidol with herbal remedies and supplements

There might be a problem taking some herbal remedies with haloperidol, as they can make your side effects worse. Ask a pharmacist for advice.

There's not enough information to say that complementary medicines, herbal remedies and supplements are safe to take with haloperidol. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.

Meds New IA (H2) - Cautions with other medicines alert