HALOPERIDOL
It is a potent antipsychotic & its pharmacological profile resembles that of piperazine substituted phenothiazines.It does not cause weight gain & is considered to be good for acute schizophrenia.Acute and chronic schizophrenia, acute mania and hypomania, organic psychoses, agitation in psychotic illness, behaviour disorders in children characterised by hyperexcitability and extreme hyperactivity, tics and choreiform movements and Gille’s de la Tourette’s syndrome.
Initially 10-15 mg daily; reduce to lowest effective maint. dose 1-10 mg/day. Children : Maint.: 0.05 mg/kg bodywt per day. Not recommended for children under 3 yrs. Injections : For rapid emergency control upto 30 mg (a dose of 10 mg will normally be adequate) may be given i.m.
Parkinson’s disease. Hyper-sensitivity, in severe toxic C.N.S. depression, in comatose patients. Expectant mothers.
Arteriosclerosis. Alcohol, C.N.S. depressants. Acute dystonic reactions, including laryngeal spasm may be relieved by diazepam i.v. Should not drive or operate machinery, use of lithium salts concurently, tranquilizers. Paediatrics:Not recommended in children below3yrs. Pregnancy: Safety not established. Lactation: The drug passes into breast milk and may affect the infant. Elderly: Reduced dose may be necessary.
Extrapyramidal side effects; dystonic reactions, motor restlessness, muscular rigidity, increased salivation, blood dyscrasias, impaired liver function, jaundice. Tardive dyskinesia, galactorrhoea, amenorrhoea, gynecomastia & impotence.
Increases adverse effects of tricyclic antidepressants, CNS depressants effects enhanced by alcohol. Carbamazepine and rifampicin reduce plasma concentration.
