(Bold for FDA approved)
How Talendol works• Blocks dopamine 2 receptors, reducing positive symptoms of psychosis and possibly combative, explosive, and hyperactive behaviors
• Blocks dopamine 2 receptors in the nigrostriatal pathway, improving tics and other symptoms in Tourette’s syndrome
• Psychotic symptoms can improve within 1 week, but it may take several weeks for full effect on behavior
Notable Side Effects• Neuroleptic-induced deficit syndrome
• Akathisia
• Drug-induced parkinsonism
• Tardive dyskinesia, tardive dystonia
• Risk of potentially irreversible involuntary dyskinetic movements may increase with cumulative dose and treatment duration
• Galactorrhea, amenorrhea
• Dizziness, sedation
• Dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention, blurred vision
• Decreased sweating
• Hypotension, tachycardia, hypertension
• Weight gain
Life Threatening Side Effects• Rare neuroleptic malignant syndrome may cause hyperpyrexia, muscle rigidity, delirium, and autonomic instability with elevated creatine phosphokinase, myoglobinuria (rhabdomyolysis), and acute renal failure
• Rare seizures
• Rare jaundice, agranulocytosis, leukopenia
• As a class, antipsychotics are associated with an increased risk of death and cerebrovascular events in elderly patients with dementia; not approved for treatment of dementia-related psychosis

not usual

not usual
• Wait
• Wait
• Wait
• For drug-induced parkinsonism, add an anticholinergic agent
• Beta blockers, benzodiazepines, or serotonin 2A antagonists (e.g., mirtazapine, cyproheptadine) may reduce akathisia
• Reduce the dose
• For sedation, give at night
• Switch to an atypical antipsychotic
• Weight loss, exercise programs, and medical management for high BMIs, diabetes, dyslipidemia
• Metformin may help prevent or reverse antipsychotic-induced weight gain
• 1–40 mg/day orally
• Immediate-release injection 2–5 mg each dose
• Decanoate injection 10–20 times the previous daily dose of oral antipsychotic (see Haloperidol Decanoate section after Pearls for dosing and use)
Dosage Forms• Tablet 0.5 mg scored, 1 mg scored, 2 mg scored, 5 mg scored, 10 mg scored, 20 mg scored
• Concentrate 2 mg/mL
• Injection 5 mg/mL (immediate-release)
• Decanoate injection 50 mg/mL, 100 mg/mL
• Often used for long-term maintenance
• Should periodically reevaluate long-term usefulness in individual patients, but treatment may need to continue for many years
• No
Renal Impairment• Use with caution
Hepatic Impairment• Use with caution
Cardiac Impairment• Use with caution because of risk of orthostatic hypertension
• Possible increased risk of QTc prolongation or torsade de pointes at higher doses or with intravenous administration
Elderly• Lower doses should be used and patient should be monitored closely
• Elderly patients may be more susceptible to respiratory side effects and hypotension
• Although conventional antipsychotics are commonly used for behavioral disturbances in dementia, no agent has been approved for treatment of elderly patients with behavioral symptoms of dementia such as agitation
• Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotics are at an increased risk of death compared to placebo, and also have an increased risk of cerebrovascular events
Children and Adolescents• Safety and efficacy have not been established; not intended for use under age 3
• Oral: initial 0.5 mg/day; target dose 0.05–0.15 mg/kg per day for psychotic disorders; 0.05–0.075 mg/kg per day for nonpsychotic disorders
• Generally consider second-line after atypical antipsychotics
Pregnancy• Effective June 30, 2015, the FDA requires changes to the content and format of pregnancy and lactation information in prescription drug labels, including the elimination of the pregnancy letter categories; the Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule (PLLR or final rule) applies only to prescription drugs and will be phased in gradually for drugs approved on or after June 30, 2001
• Controlled studies have not been conducted in pregnant women
• There is a risk of abnormal muscle movements and withdrawal symptoms in newborns whose mothers took an antipsychotic during the third trimester; symptoms may include agitation, abnormally increased or decreased muscle tone, tremor, sleepiness, severe difficulty breathing, and difficulty feeding
• Reports of drug-induced parkinsonism, jaundice, hyperreflexia, hyporeflexia in infants whose mothers took a conventional antipsychotic during pregnancy
• Reports of limb deformity in infants whose mothers took haloperidol during pregnancy
• Haloperidol should generally not be used during the first trimester
• Haloperidol should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed
• Psychotic symptoms may worsen during pregnancy and some form of treatment may be necessary
• Atypical antipsychotics may be preferable to conventional antipsychotics or anticonvulsant mood stabilizers if treatment is required during pregnancy
Breast Feeding• Some drug is found in mother’s breast milk
• Recommended either to discontinue drug or bottle feed
Based on data Published online by Cambridge University Press
Compiled by Dr. Jash Ajmera