# Haloperidol/Haldol..help



## Shauna (Jul 29, 2006)

I just got precribed Haldol to help treat my anxiety and depression w/ psychotic features by my PDOC. I took my 1st one(5mg tablet) the other day and i'm still feeling the awful effects from it..ugh..i felt normal psychically beforehand, but know i'm very uncomfortable,restless,weak and faitugued. I can barely sit up or lay down to sleep. Body just feels weird. I went to the Emergency Room last night and they did nothing but give me a Ativan,told me to follow up with my PDOC,and sent me home. I felt this way before when i was on Abilify...the feeling is awful and awkward. The dr at the ER said Haldol is a med they give to patients that come in who are out of control and that he didnt know why my PDOC would prescribe me those.

how long do the effects last, and what can i do to shake this sh*t off? i cant lay down,sit, eat, or shower comfortably. struggling trying to type this out. lol

i dont think i like anti-psychotics...always have bad experiences with them. anybody had this same issue? what did u do to feel normal,like yourself again?


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

I had akathisia with Abilify as well. I found Saphris to work well for me without any side effects.

I am also suprised that you were prescribed Haloperidol. That is one of the oldest antipsychotics I believe. It is a first generation. It has the most side effects as well as one of the greatest risks of developing movement disorders like Tardive Dyskinesia.

I think there are plenty of atypical antipsychotics that would be much better to try before trying Haldol. It's trial and error with meds. I hope that you can find one to help control your psychotic features.


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## Shauna (Jul 29, 2006)

bazinga said:


> I had akathisia with Abilify as well. I found Saphris to work well for me without any side effects. rol your psychotic features.


So that's what its called akathisia? I've been googling my butt off trying to figure out what these syptoms were. Its a very comfortable feeling. Im going to try some benadryl ...hope that helps.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Wikipedia says the half-life of Haldol is between 10-30 hours. So I suppose it could take several days for it to get completely out of your system. The side effects should lessen over time.

What are you going to do? Are you discontinuing the medication and talking to the doctor about trying a different antipsychotic? I suppose you could try Lithium or valproate.


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## GetOutOfMyHouse (Jan 9, 2012)

...


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## Dark Shines (Feb 11, 2013)

I have terrible memories of this drug, I was prescribed it when I was 14/15 and was on it for over a year.

I felt absolutely terrible when I was put on it, I used to just lay there in bed dribbling. It just sucks every last ounce of strength out of your body to the point that you feel your heart jumping up in your throat every time it beats and you can't even muster up the strength to lift your eyelids. When I did get my body around it, I had no energy, no desire to do anything, couldn't concentrate, didn't care, just shuffled around in a fog when I was awake and spent 14 hours a day in bed. Then when they eventually realized that it wasn't doing me any good, they stopped me cold turkey and the withdrawals were really quite horrific. The funny thing is, some of them thought I was just making it up at the time(probably due to my age).

I'll never understand why they prescribe these drugs to people in a million years, unless it is an absolute, positively all out of options, last resort.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Dark Shines said:


> 'll never understand why they prescribe these drugs to people in a million years, unless it is an absolute, positively all out of options, last resort.


I don't understand why they would prescribe haldol to her either when there are many atypical antipsychotics she could try first which should have much less side effects.


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## Shauna (Jul 29, 2006)

I'm been on Seroquel, Abilify, and Invega...they all caused me terrible akathisia as well as rashes on my face...now she put me on Haldol which is even worse than the rest i've taken. What a crappy feeling. I've been taking benadryl and a benzo to see if that will help, but they haven't. The DR in th ER just told me to only take a half, instead of the whole 5mg before bedtime..then follow up quicky with my PDOC..but i dont see her untill next month. 

Akathisia is the worst, i can sit or lay down for nothing. Just feels weird. I dont like anti-psychotics at all. They make me scared to take any kind of medication from now on. 

I think i'm heading back to the emergency room right now, they have to put me on a IV or something to make this feeling go away...i can't take it.


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## Shauna (Jul 29, 2006)

Well guys...im back at the ER sitting in the waiting room waiting for my name to be called back. Im going to see if they can get rid of this awful akathisis I have. I had to call a cab so hopefully they find a solution this time. I feel sorry for the people who experience akathisia for months and years...I couldn't imagine. Im going to get the dr here to write a prescription for benzos as well since I cant get them from my PDOC.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Shauna said:


> I just got precribed Haldol to help treat my anxiety and depression w/ psychotic features by my PDOC. I took my 1st one(5mg tablet) the other day and i'm still feeling the awful effects from it..ugh..i felt normal psychically beforehand, but know i'm very uncomfortable,restless,weak and faitugued. I can barely sit up or lay down to sleep. Body just feels weird. I went to the Emergency Room last night and they did nothing but give me a Ativan,told me to follow up with my PDOC,and sent me home. I felt this way before when i was on Abilify...the feeling is awful and awkward. The dr at the ER said Haldol is a med they give to patients that come in who are out of control and that he didnt know why my PDOC would prescribe me those.
> 
> how long do the effects last, and what can i do to shake this sh*t off? i cant lay down,sit, eat, or shower comfortably. struggling trying to type this out. lol
> 
> i dont think i like anti-psychotics...always have bad experiences with them. anybody had this same issue? what did u do to feel normal,like yourself again?


OMG! HALDOL?! That stuff was originally used in hospitals only (late 1980s). My mother was put on that when she was hospitalized when I was 13 (no wonder I started having anxiety shortly afterward!). She tried to give me a hug when I visited her and she was trembling! That akathisia is typical, unfortunately, for Haldol.
I am surprised they prescribe it out like that. It's a med that needs to be closely monitored. :afr.

When my SA was really severe, I was put on Geodon many years ago - another antipsychotic (similar but weaker effects). I was still out of it. That med may be better, but still may not be the right one. It was to put me to sleep when I would be up all night with worry and fear.

I would keep taking what you need to and talk to your doctor right away. This should be considered urgent for your doctor to fit you in ASAP.


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## Shauna (Jul 29, 2006)

millenniumman75 said:


> OMG! HALDOL?! That stuff was originally used in hospitals only (late 1980s). My mother was put on that when she was hospitalized when I was 13 (no wonder I started having anxiety shortly afterward!). She tried to give me a hug when I visited her and she was trembling! That akathisia is typical, unfortunately, for Haldol.
> I am surprised they prescribe it out like that. It's a med that needs to be closely monitored. :afr.
> 
> When my SA was really severe, I was put on Geodon many years ago - another antipsychotic (similar but weaker effects). I was still out of it. That med may be better, but still may not be the right one. It was to put me to sleep when I would be up all night with worry and fear.
> ...


thanks for tthe replys you guys! I went back to the ER early this morning ...and this time they injected me with *cogentin* for the akathisia. It worked and i feel back to myself again. Only problem is my vision started getting blurry after they gave me the cogentin IV...and i felt a little dizzy. I heard that was a side effect when taking cogentin..but i hope it goes away.

overall, i feel better now ...just wondering when i will be able to see properly again...lol


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Shauna said:


> thanks for tthe replys you guys! I went back to the ER early this morning ...and this time they injected me with *cogentin* for the akathisia. It worked and i feel back to myself again. Only problem is my vision started getting blurry after they gave me the cogentin IV...and i felt a little dizzy. I heard that was a side effect when taking cogentin..but i hope it goes away.
> 
> overall, i feel better now ...just wondering when i will be able to see properly again...lol


I am glad to hear that they are getting that straightened out!
I would talk to your doctor about Haldol - there has to be something more effective with such extreme side effects - it should be considered an urgent call for your doctor to take. If I remember right, my mother had to be completely off of it before leaving the hospital. What in the world changed about that drug in the last 25 years?! She was in the hospital for 11 days.


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## A Sense of Purpose (May 8, 2011)

Haldol is still used, because its by far the best medication for delusions/psychosis/hallucinations.

Im not saying it should be first or second line, but it still has some place.


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## dreamedm (Apr 17, 2013)

I just started taking this. I've tried virtually every AAP, with no success, so my psychiatrist put me on this. I asked her if we should try Zoloft and Lyrica, but she says that my depression (if it's there) and anxiety is secondary to my 'thought disorder,' which she still thinks an antipsychotic should get rid of.


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