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Haloperidol decanoate
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025

Haloperidol decanoate is an antipsychotic drug. It can be classified as a derivative of butyrophenone. It can have a pronounced antipsychotic effect. This occurs due to the blockade of depolarization or a decrease in the degree of excitation of dopamine neurons. This medication is widely used in mental disorders.
ATC classification
Active ingredients
Pharmacological group
Pharmachologic effect
Indications Haloperidol decanoate
Indications for use of Haloperidol Decanoate are that the drug is used in severe schizophrenia. It is prescribed as a maintenance therapy. Especially in cases where ordinary haloperidol was previously used as a therapeutic action.
This form of the drug is enhanced and can support a person during periods of severe attacks. It is impossible to completely get rid of the disease, but it is quite possible to partially improve the patient's condition.
The medication is prescribed in cases where a person suffers from severe mental disorders. They are often accompanied by hallucinations, increased aggression and excitability.
The drug is a prolonged-action neuroleptic. It can have a powerful antipsychotic effect and a moderate sedative effect. It can block dopamine receptors in the central nervous system. Haloperidol decanoate can have an analgesic, anticonvulsant, antiemetic and antihistamine effect.
Release form
The release form is presented by tablets of white and almost white color. They have a round shape with a bevel. There is practically no smell. On one side of the tablet there is an engraving "I|I". The tablet contains 1.5 mg of haloperidol. The auxiliary substances of the drug are corn starch, gelatin, lactose, potato starch and talc.
The solution for intravenous and intramuscular administration is colorless or slightly yellowish. One ampoule contains 5 mg of the active substance. Lactic acid and water act as auxiliary components.
The clinical and pharmacological group of the drug is a neuroleptic. The drug is effective in both cases. It has a positive effect both in the form of tablets and a solution for administration. In this case, it is worth deciding for yourself which form of release to give preference to.
It is important to familiarize yourself with the main characteristics of the medicine. This will allow you to determine whether the product is suitable or not and understand when a person has a fake. How to use the medicine Haloperidol decanoate should be decided by the attending physician.
Pharmacodynamics
The pharmacodynamics of the drug is represented by the fact that it is a prolonged-action neuroleptic. It is capable of exerting a pronounced antipsychotic effect. In addition, the drug helps to calm down and has good sedative properties.
The drug actively blocks dopamine receptors, which are located in the central nervous system. The drug can have a powerful antiemetic effect. It also eliminates fever and constricts blood vessels.
This medication can be classified as one of those that has a broad effect. After all, it helps not only to alleviate a person's condition, but also to relieve him of unpleasant symptoms caused by mental disorders.
In order for the medicine to really help, it must be used correctly. Otherwise, the situation may worsen significantly. Therefore, a doctor's consultation is a necessary measure. In order to take Haloperidol Decanoate, you need to know enough about this medicine and, most importantly, use it correctly.
Pharmacokinetics
The pharmacokinetics of the drug is that it reaches full equilibrium concentration only after 2-3 months. In this case, the drug must be administered repeatedly.
Haloperidol decanoate is one of the neuroleptics that have a prolonged effect. Due to its active components, it has a pronounced antipsychotic effect. A person begins to feel relief after a short time. The main thing is to constantly support the patient with the medication.
The ability to block dopamine receptors in the central nervous system means that the drug can have a pronounced antiemetic effect. In addition, it has antipyretic, antihistamine, analgesic and anticonvulsant functions. This is quite enough for a person to start feeling better.
Periodic attacks bring a lot of inconvenience to the patient and people around him. Therefore, it is necessary to take Haloperidol Decanoate, it will help to endure these processes much easier.
Dosing and administration
To achieve the correct effect, it is important to know the method of application and doses of Haloperidol Decanoate. So, the drug is prescribed orally and intramuscularly. The duration of treatment depends on the individual characteristics of the body and how the disease progresses.
The dosage is selected in a similar way. When calculating this point, you need to take into account the doses of the drug itself and other medications that are used as an additional remedy. It is desirable that the combination be the same. Much also depends on what drug was taken before Haloperidol Decanoate. After all, most likely, the concentration of the previous drug in the blood plasma is still preserved.
This drug is administered in a dose of 50-200 mg once every 4 weeks. This is a drug that is intended to maintain a person's condition after timely therapy. It does not need to be taken constantly. But, again, much depends on the person's condition. In general, Haloperidol Decanoate can help, but not solve the problem completely.
Use Haloperidol decanoate during pregnancy
The use of Haloperidol Decanoate during pregnancy is not allowed. The fact is that such an effect can negatively affect the development of the fetus. It is especially dangerous to take the drug in the early stages of pregnancy. The mother's body is significantly weakened, the immune system does not perform protective functions. This is a favorable environment for the penetration of various infections.
Therefore, taking strong drugs is prohibited. This can worsen the situation. If a woman must take medication during pregnancy, a doctor's consultation is required.
During breastfeeding, it is recommended to stop using the medicine. After all, the active components can penetrate the baby's body with milk. In the first months of life, this is simply an unacceptable intervention. This can lead to the development of health problems that are irreversible. Taking Haloperidol Decanoate should be done under the supervision of a doctor. But it is still recommended to find an alternative solution to the problem.
Contraindications
Contraindications to the use of Haloperidol Decanoate are the presence of certain health problems. Thus, these include neurological diseases that may be accompanied by pyramidal and extrapyramidal symptoms.
The risk group includes pregnant women and young mothers who are breastfeeding. Penetration of active components into the body during this period is unacceptable.
These factors should be taken into account when taking the medicine. In some cases, by adjusting the dose, it is possible to continue or start using the medicine. But this is only possible in exceptional cases.
You shouldn't neglect the basic rules. After all, increasing the dose on your own, taking the medicine when it is prohibited can lead to the development of serious problems. That is why a person suffering from mental disorders should use Haloperidol Decanoate under someone's guidance. This can save his life and protect him from wrong actions.
Side effects Haloperidol decanoate
Side effects of Haloperidol Decanoate are represented by various manifestations from the central nervous system. It mainly suffers. Thus, extrapyramidal disorders may appear. They manifest themselves in the form of increased muscle tone, akinesia and tremor.
Late dyskinesia may occur, but it only occurs with prolonged use of the drug. A pronounced sedative effect is also one of the side effects. Severe depression may develop.
Other negative effects include a reversible increase in serum prolactin levels. This usually occurs when taking a large amount of the drug. This factor will improve on its own.
If you do everything as written in the instructions and do not take the drug in high doses, then there can be no side effects. In this case, the drug will have the necessary effect and will not harm the body. Therefore, consultation regarding Haloperidol Decanoate is the main criterion.
Overdose
Does Haloperidol Decanoate overdose occur and what causes it? This phenomenon never occurs without reason. Most likely, the matter is in the increase of the dose or incorrect use of the drug.
The main symptoms of overdose are muscle rigidity and local tremor. In some cases, arterial hypotension, sometimes arterial hypertension and drowsiness manifest themselves. In the case of an extremely severe overdose, comatose state, shock and respiratory depression may develop.
Treatment is carried out on the basis of the artificial ventilation procedure. To improve blood circulation, it is necessary to administer plasma, albumin solution and norepinephron intravenously.
Adrenaline should not be taken in this case! This can lead to serious problems. To reduce the severity of extrapyramidal disorders, it is worth using antiparkinsonian drugs for several weeks. This will relieve all the unpleasant symptoms that Haloperidol decanoate can cause.
Interactions with other drugs
Naturally, interactions with other drugs are possible, but for this you need to know some rules. Thus, it is not recommended to use Haloperidol Decanoate together with antihypertensive drugs. This can lead to an increased effect of the latter.
A similar situation occurs with barbiturates, antidepressants and opioid analgesics. If they are used together with this drug, a decrease in the effect of indirect anticoagulants may be observed.
If a person is taking other medications at the same time, they should consult a doctor on this topic. It is quite possible that the medications will enhance each other's effects, which will lead to serious health problems.
In no case should you take several drugs with similar effects. This can lead to an overdose, especially in cases where the drugs have the same composition. Such interaction is unacceptable. Before taking Haloperidol Decanoate with other drugs, you should consult a doctor.
Storage conditions
Storage conditions of Haloperidol Decanoate must be strictly observed. Thus, the drug must be stored in a place protected from light. The optimal temperature is 5-10 degrees. It should be noted that in this case the drug can be exposed to cold. In many cases, this is unacceptable.
When storing the medicine, it is worth relying on some requirements. Despite the fact that the drug is stored in the cold, it cannot be frozen. After this process, it becomes unsuitable for use.
It is important to find a dry and dark place to store the medicine. In principle, even a refrigerator with a certain temperature regime will do. This will protect the product from direct sunlight. The only downside is that children can get to the drug. Therefore, it is advisable to think about this point so that they do not accidentally take the drug. Such simple rules will allow you to store Haloperidol decanoate for a long time and at the same time its beneficial properties will not be lost.
Shelf life
The shelf life of a drug directly depends on the storage conditions. These two criteria simply cannot exist separately. After all, if the drug is not stored in proper conditions, the shelf life becomes an ordinary number and nothing more.
The optimal storage for the drug will be in the refrigerator. Because, unlike other medications, the best temperature for this is 5-10 degrees. But at the same time, the product should not be frozen under any circumstances.
It is important that children do not have access to the medicine, because taking the drug by babies can cause serious problems in their body. Therefore, the refrigerator is not always suitable for this. It can be a pantry or a cellar. But constantly going down for the medicine is also inconvenient.
It is desirable that the place is not illuminated and is dry. Such conditions will allow the viability of the drug to be maintained for 3 years. Haloperidol decanoate, when used correctly, will not harm a person, but on the contrary, will provide the necessary relief.
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Manufacturer
Attention!
To simplify the perception of information, this instruction for use of the drug "Haloperidol decanoate" translated and presented in a special form on the basis of the official instructions for medical use of the drug. Before use read the annotation that came directly to medicines.
Description provided for informational purposes and is not a guide to self-healing. The need for this drug, the purpose of the treatment regimen, methods and dose of the drug is determined solely by the attending physician. Self-medication is dangerous for your health.