Medicines Haloperidol

Typical Antipsychotics. Low doses of high potency typical antipsychotics such as haloperidol or fluphenazine (0.5-2mg given once or twice daily) are generally quite effective for psychotic symptoms after TBI. Unfortunately, as noted earlier, many post-TBl patients are susceptible to the extrapyramidal side effects of these medicines, especially if there was any injury to brain regions such as the basal ganglia. Low potency antipsychotics are not a viable alternative, because their anticholinergic and sedative effects are equally, if not more, problematic for patients who have suffered TBI. We recommend using typical antipsychotics, even for psychotic symptoms, as briefly as possible and in the lowest effective dose, if at all. Fortunately, there are now alternatives. 

The intramuscular administration of antipsychotics acting for weeks prevents this independent action and improves compliance on the other hand, only highly potent antipsychotics such as fluphenazine, flupenthixol and haloperidol are suitable for depot administration and it is precisely these medicines that lead more frequently to EPS and dysphoric mood (van Putten et al, 1984). 

Kline, A., Massucci, J., Zafonte, R., Dixon, C., DeFeo, J., Rogers, E. (2000). Differential effects of single versus multiple administration of haloperidol and risperidone on functional outcome after experimental brain trauma. Critical Care Medicine, 35, 919-924. 

The classical antipsychotic (see p. 380) drugs block dopamine receptors and their antipsychotic activity relates closely to this action, which notably involves the Dj-receptor, the principal target in Parkinson s disease. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that these drugs can induce a state whose clinical features are very similar to those of idiopathic Parkinson s disease. The piperazine phenothiazines, e.g. trifluoperazine, and the butyrophenones, e.g. haloperidol, are most commonly involved. In one series of 95 new cases of parkinsonism referred to a department of geriatric medicine, 51% were associated with prescribed drugs and half of these required hospital admission. After withdrawal of the offending drug most cases resolved completely in 7 weeks. But... 

All other commercial compounds (alprenolol, amitriptyline, atenolol, atropine, bupivacaine, caffeine, clomipramine, diazepam, haloperidol, lido-caine, mexiletine, nortriptyline, propranolol, scopolamine, and verapamil) were purchased from Sigma (St. Louis, MO). Compounds were obtained from Theravance, Inc. (previously Advanced Medicine, Inc.). 

In the 1950s, the first medicines for treatment of mental illness reached the market. Paul Janssen had developed haloperidol for treatment of schizophrenia, and Geigy introduced imipramine as a therapy for depression. Thereby, for the first time these widespread and serious illnesses could be managed successfully. Patients, who had previously been admitted to mental institutions on a routine basis, were now able to live on in their familiar surroundings. 

Possibly. Sufferers from Tourette s syndrome are helped by using a nicotine patch to stimulate the haloperidol medicine they are taking. It is also believed that smokers are less likely to contract Parkinson s disease, but smoking is a rather drastic way to get those benefits. 

The Department of Health reported savings of 19%, made up of 25-50% for generic medicine prices and 12% for originator medicines. IMS Health reported an average drop in medicine prices of 24% between June 2003 and June 2006 (Yokes, 2007) since the introduction of the SEP. Similarly, Emsley and Booysen (2004) reported that the introduction of the SEP had resulted in a reduction of 36.7% in the prices of quetiapine and 13% for haloperidol. Admittedly, that paper was published a few months after the introduction of the SEP, so it is... 

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