IV. Mechanism

  1. First Generation Antipsychotic

V. Dosing: Haloperidol Immediate Release

  1. Dosing Range
    1. Adult: 5-10 mg PO, IM, or IV
    2. Peds: 0.5-1 mg PO, IM or IV
    3. Adolescent: 1-5 mg PO, IM or IV
    4. Elderly: 0.5-2 mg PO, IM or IV
  2. Dosing Intervals: Scheduled and repeated dosing intervals
    1. May repeat every 30-60 minutes
    2. Maximum: 300 mg/24 hours (avoid cummulative dose over 100 mg in 24 hours)
    3. May dose regularly every 6-8 hours
      1. Typical effective dose: 5 mg PO, IV, or IM tid (lower doses in the elderly)
    4. Total dose >3 mg/day is associated with Extrapyramidal Side Effects

VI. Dosing: Acute Psychosis or Agitated Delirium

  1. Haloperidol alone
    1. Child: 0.05 to 0.15 mg/kg PO/IM/IV (up to 2-5 mg for teen)
    2. Adult: 5 mg IV or 10 mg PO/IM prn
    3. May repeat dose in 10 to 30 minutes if needed
    4. Consider with Benadryl 50 mg or Cogentin 1 mg to prevent Dystonic Reaction
    5. Monitor Electrocardiogram for QTc Prolongation (esp. IV dosing, risk of Torsades de Pointes)
  2. Haloperidol with Midazolam and Benadryl q30 minutes prn (Mnemonic: B52)
    1. Benadryl 50 mg (prevents Dystonia)
    2. Haloperidol 5 mg (up to 10 mg)
    3. Midazolam 2 mg (up to 4 mg) - Midazolam is preferred over Ativan for IM Benzodiazepine)
    4. Draw up the 3 agents into same syringe and deliver IM
      1. May repeat once with additional 5 mg Haloperidol and 2 mg Midazolam

VII. Dosing: Chronic Psychosis

  1. Adult Oral Dosing
    1. Start 0.5 to 5 mg (or up to 2 mg in elderly) orally every 8 to 12 hours
    2. Target 6 to 20 mg/day
    3. Maximum: 100 mg/day
  2. Adult IM Dosing
    1. Start 2 to 5 mg IM every 8 hours
    2. Maximum: 20 mg/day
  3. Children (age 3 to 12 years, 15 to 40 kg)
    1. Dose: 0.05 to 0.15 mg/kg/day divided every 8 to 12 hours
  4. Adult Monthly IM Injection: Haloperidol Decanoate (depot form)
    1. Stabilize on oral dosing before initiating depot IM dosing
    2. Haloperidol Decanoate 100 mg IM every 4 weeks (equivalent to 10 mg/day oral formulation)
    3. Cost effective (may be as low as $19 generic)

VIII. Dosing: Tourette Syndrome

  1. Adult Oral Dosing
    1. Start 0.5 to 5 mg (or up to 2 mg in elderly) orally every 8 to 12 hours
    2. Target 6 to 20 mg/day
    3. Maximum: 100 mg/day
    4. May also use IM dosing or monthly preparation as above
  2. Children (age 3 to 12 years, 15 to 40 kg)
    1. Dose: 0.05 to 0.075 mg/kg/day divided every 8 to 12 hours
    2. May increase dose by up to 0.5 mg weekly to maximum of 6 mg/day

IX. Precautions

  1. Intravenous doses have a much shorter duration of action than other routes
  2. Antipsychotics are associated with increased mortality in the elderly

X. Adverse effects

  1. Serious
    1. See Extrapyramidal Side Effects (EPSE)
    2. Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
    3. Hypotension
    4. Dystonia
    5. Seizures
    6. Prolonged QT interval
      1. Risk of Torsades de Pointes
      2. Dose related effect with higher risk at higher doses
  2. Common
    1. Insomnia
    2. Restlessness
    3. Anxiety
    4. Sedation
    5. Headache
    6. Weight gain
    7. Hyperprolactinemia
    8. Blood dyscrasia

XI. Safety

  1. Avoid in pregnancy
    1. Limb malformations with first trimester exposure
    2. Neonatal withdrawal and Extrapyramidal Effects with third trimester exposure
  2. Avoid in Lactation

XII. Monitoring

  1. Electrocardiogram (EKG)
    1. With Parenteral dosing (esp. IV), monitor Electrocardiogram for QTc Prolongation (risk of Torsades de Pointes)
  2. Serum Prolactin
    1. Obtain if indicated
  3. Complete Blood Count (indicated if history of Leukopenia)
    1. Baseline
    2. Monthly in first 3 months of therapy
  4. Serum Haloperidol Level
    1. Therapeutic range: 2 to 15 ng/ml

XIV. References

  1. (2016) Med Lett Drugs Ther 58(1510): 160-5
  2. Olson (2020) Clinical Pharmacology, Medmaster Miami, p. 42-3
  3. Hamilton (2020) Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia

Images: Related links to external sites (from Bing)

Related Studies

Cost: Medications

haloperidol (on 12/21/2022 at Medicaid.Gov Survey of pharmacy drug pricing)
HALOPERIDOL 0.5 MG TABLET Generic $0.24 each
HALOPERIDOL 1 MG TABLET Generic $0.28 each
HALOPERIDOL 10 MG TABLET Generic $0.40 each
HALOPERIDOL 2 MG TABLET Generic $0.35 each
HALOPERIDOL 20 MG TABLET Generic $0.86 each
HALOPERIDOL 5 MG TABLET Generic $0.37 each
HALOPERIDOL DEC 100 MG/ML AMP Generic $29.05 per ml
HALOPERIDOL DEC 100 MG/ML VIAL Generic $21.31 per ml
HALOPERIDOL DEC 50 MG/ML AMPUL Generic $20.08 per ml
HALOPERIDOL DEC 500 MG/5 ML VL Generic $28.42 per ml
HALOPERIDOL DECAN 50 MG/ML AMP Generic $19.70 per ml
HALOPERIDOL LAC 2 MG/ML CONC Generic $0.19 per ml

Ontology: Haloperidol (C0018546)

Definition (MSH) A phenyl-piperidinyl-butyrophenone that is used primarily to treat SCHIZOPHRENIA and other PSYCHOSES. It is also used in schizoaffective disorder, DELUSIONAL DISORDERS, ballism, and TOURETTE SYNDROME (a drug of choice) and occasionally as adjunctive therapy in INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY and the chorea of HUNTINGTON DISEASE. It is a potent antiemetic and is used in the treatment of intractable HICCUPS. (From AMA Drug Evaluations Annual, 1994, p279)
Definition (NCI_NCI-GLOSS) A drug used to treat certain mental and neurological disorders. It is also being studied in the treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by some cancer treatments. It is a type of antiemetic and a type of antipsychotic.
Definition (NCI) A phenylbutylpiperadine derivative with antipsychotic, neuroleptic, and antiemetic activities. Haloperidol competitively blocks postsynaptic dopamine (D2) receptors in the mesolimbic system of the brain, thereby eliminating dopamine neurotransmission and leading to antidelusionary and antihallucinagenic effects. Antagonistic activity mediated through D2 dopamine receptors in the chemoreceptive trigger zone (CTZ) accounts for its antiemetic activity.
Definition (CSP) USP lists as an antipsychotic and as an "antidyskinetic" used in Tourette syndrome.
Definition (PDQ) A phenylbutylpiperadine derivative with antipsychotic, neuroleptic and antiemetic effects. Haloperidol competitively blocks postsynaptic dopamine (D2) receptors in the mesolimbic system of the brain, thereby eliminating dopamine neurotransmission and leading to antidelusionary and antihallucinagenic effects. The antagonistic activity mediated through D2 dopamine receptors in the chemoreceptive trigger zone (CTZ) accounts for its antiemetic activity. Check for "http://www.cancer.gov/Search/ClinicalTrialsLink.aspx?id=39474&idtype=1" active clinical trials or "http://www.cancer.gov/Search/ClinicalTrialsLink.aspx?id=39474&idtype=1&closed=1" closed clinical trials using this agent. ("http://nciterms.nci.nih.gov:80/NCIBrowser/ConceptReport.jsp?dictionary=NCI_Thesaurus&code=C537" NCI Thesaurus)
Concepts Pharmacologic Substance (T121) , Organic Chemical (T109)
MSH D006220
SnomedCT 321415008, 323259009, 10756001, 386837002
LNC LP16158-5, MTHU005005
English Haloperidol, 1-Butanone, 4-(4-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-hydroxy-1-piperidinyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-, Haloperidol [antipsychotic], Haloperidol [tics, chorea], Haloperidol [tics, chorea] [see D47..], 4-[4-(4-Chlorophenyl)-4-hydroxy-1-piperidinyl]-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-butanone, HALOPERIDOL, haloperidol (medication), Haloperidol [Chemical/Ingredient], Haloperidol [tics, chorea] [see D47..] (product), Haloperidol [antipsychotic] (product), haloperidol, Haloperidol (product), Haloperidol (substance), Haloperidol [antipsychotic] (substance), Haloperidol [tics, chorea] [see D47..] (substance)
Swedish Haloperidol
Czech haloperidol
Finnish Haloperidoli
Russian GALOPERIDOL, ГАЛОПЕРИДОЛ
Japanese ハロペリドール
Croatian HALOPERIDOL
Polish Haloperidol
Spanish haloperidol [tics, corea] [véase D47..] (producto), haloperidol [antipsicótico], haloperidol [tics, corea] [véase D47..], haloperidol [antipsicótico] (producto), haloperidol (producto), haloperidol (sustancia), haloperidol, Haloperidol
French Halopéridol
German Haloperidol
Italian Aloperidolo
Portuguese Haloperidol

Ontology: haloperidol decanoate (C0062103)

Definition (NCI) The decanoate ester of haloperidol, a phenylbutylpiperadine derivative with antipsychotic, neuroleptic and antiemetic effects. Haloperidol competitively blocks postsynaptic dopamine (D2) receptors in the mesolimbic system of the brain leading to anti-delusionary and anti-hallucinogenic effects. The antagonistic activity mediated through D2 dopamine receptors in the chemoreceptive trigger zone (CTZ) account for its antiemetic activity.
Concepts Pharmacologic Substance (T121) , Organic Chemical (T109)
MSH C033563
SnomedCT 412196004, 321699007
English haloperidol decanoate, Haloperidol Decanoate, Haloperidol deconoate, haloperidol decanoate (discontinued) (medication), haloperidol decanoate (discontinued), haloperidol decanoate [Chemical/Ingredient], HALOPERIDOL DECANOATE, Haloperidol decanoate, Haloperidol decanoate (product), Haloperidol decanoate (substance), Haloperidol deconoate (substance)
Spanish decanoato de haloperidol (producto), decanoato de haloperidol, decanoato de haloperidol (sustancia)

Ontology: Haldol (C0591585)

Concepts Pharmacologic Substance (T121) , Organic Chemical (T109)
MSH D006220
English Haldol, haldol

Ontology: Haloperidol lactate (C0720809)

Concepts Pharmacologic Substance (T121) , Organic Chemical (T109)
SnomedCT 412197008
English haloperidol lactate, haloperidol lactate (medication), Haloperidol lactate, HALOPERIDOL LACTATE, Haloperidol Lactate, Haloperidol lactate (substance)
Spanish lactato de haloperidol (sustancia), lactato de haloperidol