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What is haloperidol?
Haloperidol is an antipsychotic medication. It works by changing the actions of chemicals in your brain. Haloperidol is used to treat schizophrenia. It is also used to control motor and speech tics in people with Tourette's syndrome. Haloperidol may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

Pricing information provided by drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of haloperidol?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• dizziness, fainting, fast or pounding heartbeat;

• restless muscle movements in your eyes, tongue, jaw, or neck;

• tremor (uncontrolled shaking);

• fever, stiff muscles, confusion, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats;

• stabbing chest pain, feeling short of breath, cough with yellow or green mucus;

• sudden mood changes;

• confusion, agitation, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior; or

• jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).

Less serious side effects may include:

• headache, dizziness, drowsiness;

• sleep problems (insomnia);

• feeling restless or anxious;

• mild skin rash or itching;

• breast enlargement, irregular menstrual periods, loss of interest in sex; or

• dry mouth, blurred vision, urinating less than usual.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I take haloperidol?
Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication. Taking too much of this medication can cause a serious heart rhythm disorder or sudden death. Never take more than your prescribed dose. Take haloperidol with a full glass of water. Haloperidol can be taken with or without food.

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What is the most important information I should know about haloperidol?
Haloperidol can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall. Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase drowsiness or dizziness caused by haloperidol.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect haloperidol?
Before taking haloperidol, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines: lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid, others); a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin); or rifampin (Rifadin, Rifamate, Rimactane). This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with haloperidol. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Haloperidol has not been formally assigned to a pregnancy category by the FDA. Several cases of limb reduction malformations occurring in infants whose mothers took haloperidol during the first trimester have been reported. Other workers have not found an association with limb reductions. Haloperidol has been used in the second and third trimesters for control of chorea gravidarum and psychiatric disorders. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Haloperidol should only be given during pregnancy when benefit outweighs the risk.

Haloperidol is excreted into human milk. The American Academy of Pediatrics describes haloperidol as a drug "whose effect on nursing infants in unknown but may be of concern".

One study has reported that levels of haloperidol excreted into human breast milk were 5 ng/mL after an average maternal dose of 30 mg/day.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Severe toxic CNS depression or comatose states from any cause.
• Parkinsonian syndrome.
• Hypersensitivity to haloperidol.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of haloperidol can be fatal. Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness, feeling like you might pass out, tremors, and uncontrolled muscle movements in your eyes, tongue, jaw, or neck.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking haloperidol?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to haloperidol, or have certain conditions. Be sure your doctor knows if you have Parkinson's disease. Before taking haloperidol, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have: liver disease; kidney disease; heart disease, angina (chest pain); a thyroid disorder; epilepsy or other seizure disorder; a personal or family history of "Long QT syndrome"; an electrolyte imbalance such as low potassium or magnesium levels in your blood.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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