Posted by ed_uk2010 on August 26, 2014, at 16:56:25
In reply to Haloperidol (Haldol) and energy, posted by Tomatheus on August 25, 2014, at 20:04:44
> I've posted this question on another forum site, but I figured that I'd seek input from those of you who post here, too. So, here's my question:
>
> To those of you who are taking or who have taken haloperidol (Haldol), could you tell me how the medication seemed to affect your energy level?I have not personally taken haloperidol, but I am very familiar with the effects of this widely used drug.
In general, very low doses cause minimal sedation, mainly because haloperidol lacks any antihistamine effect. The effects have also been studied in volunteers. In healthy volunteers, single oral doses of 3mg or less usually cause very little impairment. Doses of 5mg or more can cause substantial dysphoria and impairment because the dopamine blockade becomes very potent - akathisia and dystonias are common at this dose. 5mg by intramuscular injection is very powerful and side effects are therefore extremely common.
Due to haloperidol's high affinity for D2 receptors, very small changes in dose can make the difference between the med being well tolerated and entirely intolerable.
Because haloperidol has a long elimination half life, you would probably need to avoid doses of more than about 3mg per day if you were keen to avoid sedation. Unfortunately, long term use of low doses can still lead to tardive dyskinesia, especially in the elderly.
poster:ed_uk2010
thread:1070297
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20140815/msgs/1070346.html