Haloperidol

Haldol, Haloperidol Hikma · ATC code N05AD01

Brand names: Haldol, Haloperidol Hikma, Haloperidol Decanoat Neuraxpharm, Haloperidol Forte Neuraxpharm, Haloperidol Neuraxpharm, Haloperidol Ratiopharm, Leptol, Norodol, Sedaperidol

Key facts
Active substance
Haloperidol
Drug class
Antipsychotics
ATC code
N05AD01
Authorisation
authorised nationally; no central EU authorisation
Information as of
2026-10-27

Boxed warning

WARNING

Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis

Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. Analyses of seventeen placebo-controlled trials (modal duration of 10 weeks), largely in patients taking atypical antipsychotic drugs, revealed a risk of death in drug-treated patients of between 1.6 to 1.7 times the risk of death in placebo-treated patients. Over the course of a typical 10-week controlled trial, the rate of death in drug-treated patients was about 4.5%, compared to a rate of about 2.6% in the placebo group. Although the causes of death were varied, most of the deaths appeared to be either cardiovascular (e.g., heart failure, sudden death) or infectious (e.g., pneumonia) in nature. Observational studies suggest that, similar to atypical antipsychotic drugs, treatment with conventional antipsychotic drugs may increase mortality. The extent to which the findings of increased mortality in observational studies may be attributed to the antipsychotic drug as opposed to some characteristic(s) of the patients is not clear. Haloperidol is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis (see WARNINGS).

Key facts

Haloperidol is a conventional (butyrophenone) antipsychotic. Per the US label, it is used for psychotic disorders, Tourette's disorder and certain severe behavior problems in children.

What it is used for

  • Management of manifestations of psychotic disorders
  • Control of tics and vocal utterances of Tourette's Disorder in children and adults
  • Severe behavior problems and hyperactivity in children, only after failure of psychotherapy or non-antipsychotic medications

Dosing

  • Adults, moderate symptoms: 0.5 mg to 2 mg b.i.d. or t.i.d.
  • Adults, severe symptoms or chronic/resistant patients: 3 mg to 5 mg b.i.d. or t.i.d.; daily dosages up to 100 mg may be necessary in some cases
  • Geriatric or debilitated patients: 0.5 mg to 2 mg b.i.d. or t.i.d.
  • Children 3 to 12 years: start at 0.5 mg per day, increase in 0.5 mg increments; not for children under 3 years
  • Individualize dosage; maintenance dosing is in the full prescribing information

Contraindications

  • Severe toxic CNS depression or comatose states from any cause
  • Hypersensitivity to haloperidol
  • Parkinson's disease

Important warnings

  • Boxed warning: increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis; not approved for this use
  • Sudden death, QT prolongation and torsades de pointes, especially at higher doses; caution with hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, QT-prolonging drugs
  • Tardive dyskinesia, potentially irreversible
  • Extrapyramidal symptoms

Side effects

  • Cardiovascular: tachycardia, hypotension, hypertension, QT prolongation, ventricular arrhythmias
  • CNS: extrapyramidal symptoms, tardive dyskinesia
  • Cases of sudden and unexpected death have been reported

Interactions

  • Drugs known to prolong QT: increased risk of torsades de pointes

Summary of the official product information, written with AI (Claude, Anthropic) on 2026-10-28. Every number was checked automatically against the original text. Not reviewed by a physician – the full official text is authoritative.

Full official text →

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For patients

Patient information (US)

This product has no separate US patient information.

Authorisation and brand names by country

Medicines with exactly this active-substance composition, as listed in the national registers – alphabetical and without ranking. Whether a product is currently available is not shown here.

Austria

  • HaldolEssential Pharma Limited · 3 register entries
  • Haloperidol HikmaHikma Farmacêutica (Portugal), S.A. · 1 register entry

Source: EMA – Article 57 product data (EU/EEA), as of 2026-10-28

Germany

  • HaldolEssential Pharma Limited · 5 register entries
  • Haloperidol Decanoat NeuraxpharmNeuraxpharm Arzneimittel Gmbh · 1 register entry
  • Haloperidol Forte NeuraxpharmNeuraxpharm Arzneimittel Gmbh · 1 register entry
  • Haloperidol NeuraxpharmNeuraxpharm Arzneimittel Gmbh · 4 register entries
  • Haloperidol RatiopharmRatiopharm Gmbh · 3 register entries

Source: EMA – Article 57 product data (EU/EEA), as of 2026-10-28

Turkey

  • LeptolMENARİNİ SAĞLIK VE İLAÇ SAN. TİC. A.Ş. · 6 register entries
  • NorodolALİ RAİF İLAÇ SAN. A.Ş. · 15 register entries
  • SedaperidolOSEL İLAÇ SAN. VE TİC. A.Ş. · 6 register entries

Source: TİTCK – Ruhsatlı Beşeri Tıbbi Ürünler Listesi, as of 2026-10-16

Brand names in 28 more European countries
Belgium
Haldol
Bulgaria
Халоперидол
Croatia
Haloperidol Depo Krka, Haloperidol Krka
Cyprus
Haldol, Haloxen
Czechia
Haloperidol Decanoat Richter, Haloperidol Richter
Denmark
Serenase
Estonia
Haloperidol Richter
Finland
Serenase
France
Haldol, Haloperidol Lp Hikma
Greece
Aloperidin
Hungary
Haloperidol Decanoat Richter, Haloperidol Richter
Iceland
Haldol
Ireland
Haldol Decanoate, Haloperidol Mercury Pharmaceuticals (Ireland)
Italy
Aloperidolo Galenica Senese, Aloperidolo Hikma, Aloperidolo Pensa, Aloperidolo S.A.L.F, Haldol, Serenase
Latvia
Haloperidol Grindeks, Haloperidol Richter
Liechtenstein
Haldol
Lithuania
Haloperidol Decanoate Richter, Haloperidol Richter
Luxembourg
Haldol
Malta
Haldol Decanoate, Haloperidol, Haloxen
Netherlands
Haldol, Haloperidol Cf, Haloperidol Hikma, Haloperidol Teva
Norway
Haldol
Poland
Decaldol, Haloperidol Unia, Haloperidol Wzf
Portugal
Haldol, Haloperidol Hikma, Haloperidol Teva
Romania
Haloperidol Arena, Haloperidol Laropharm, Haloperidol Richter, Haloperidol Rompharm
Slovakia
Haloperidol Richter
Slovenia
Haloperidol Depo Krka, Haloperidol Krka
Spain
Haloperidol Esteve, Haloperidol Prodes
Sweden
Haldol

EMA – Article 57 product data (EU/EEA), 2026-10-28

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Sources

  1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Haloperidol (AiPing Pharmaceutical, Inc) – Prescribing Information, 2026-04-08. DailyMed (NLM), 2026-10-27. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=bacc68ed-717b-477a-afa4-c45c182c617b
  2. EMA – Article 57 product data (EU/EEA), 2026-10-28. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory-overview/post-authorisation/data-medicines-iso-idmp-standards-post-authorisation/public-data-article-57-database
  3. EMA – Article 57 product data (EU/EEA), 2026-10-28. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory-overview/post-authorisation/data-medicines-iso-idmp-standards-post-authorisation/public-data-article-57-database
  4. TİTCK – Ruhsatlı Beşeri Tıbbi Ürünler Listesi, 2026-10-16. https://www.titck.gov.tr/dinamikmodul/85
  5. Wikidata (CC0): ATC N05AD.

Editorial: Medelix editorial team · last updated 2026-10-27 · How these pages are made · Report an error

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), prescribing information, via DailyMed (NLM); public domain. Not advertising, not a treatment recommendation. For questions about your own treatment, ask your doctor or pharmacist.