Haloperidol and Tiredness: What Users Say

• Mic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2020

Haloperidol for Nausea/Vomiting "Sometime after my same-day surgery to treat a cancer tumor, I was given some unspecified amount of Haldol through my IV line. I was shocked when I heard I was given Haldol since it is known as an antipsychotic drug with very severe side effects. I had no idea it was ever used for the prevention of nausea and vomiting over all standards such as Zofran. Since I had the same procedure several weeks earlier, I was amazed to define the effects of what I thought was just the anesthesia were so much more severe. I had disorientation, restlessness, anxiety, memory problems, tiredness, sleepiness, constipation, and even some depression. I can only attribute the difference in my reaction to the use of Haldol. It's been about 48 hours since I was discharged from the hospital, and I still don't feel right. My advice to any patient who may be given this drug to treat/prevent nausea and vomiting is to request something else that's much safer. I would certainly never take this again."

• Cya...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2021

Haloperidol for Mania "Was given this crappy drug last summer at the hospital in the psych ward, and everyone was terrified of me! I got an injection, so I had to go through a MONTH of this horror. I had insanely slurred speech, my voice sounded more high-pitched and tired, I slept ALL DAY, I had terrible akathisia, night terrors, nobody wanted me around, I was more anxious than usual, and I wanted to die for relief. The side effects wore off completely 20 days after I took it on the first of August 2020. Never taking this drug again. I’m on Zoloft and Valium right now, so much better. As for this crap, 0/10. Smh."

• fis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 4, 2015

Haloperidol for Mania "Parent to son with psychotic experiences diagnosed bipolar mania by one doctor and schizoaffective disorder by another. Been on a 3-year roller coaster nightmare. Refusal to take sulpiride and risperidone orally for any time resulted in having depot injections, but our experience to date of the depot injections is more negative given the side effects. Like lost personality, tiredness, restlessness. Bouts of long sleeping followed by walking round and round the room. When standing, rocking from foot to foot. Inability to engage in conversations. Sense of hopelessness. We didn't really clue up on the drug and are concerned about the inability to come off/reduce them because a month's worth has been injected then topped up."

• pjo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2012

For Psychosis "Immediately felt a lot better taking this. After a couple of weeks now, I have been feeling some kinesia-related issues: sore joints, sore muscles, but I'm not exactly sure it correlates to this medicine because my activity level is varied also. It helps voices and conspiracies chill out. But maybe that's exactly what 'they' want! But I have felt immediately better, but am concerned about long-term effects considering the sudden onset of other symptoms. I have been nothing but tired lately too, while I've been getting more sleep and sleeping earlier also. This is something I need to address with my doctors, and it does seem like a medicine that does have a need for monitoring of the effects. I'd rather not be on it very long."

• Daw...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 26, 2025

For Psychosis "I have been on a few meds: risperidone, amisulpride, Abilify, Invega, and currently haloperidol. They all made me put on weight (especially Invega), except for haloperidol, which kept me the same weight. They all also made me really lazy and gave various other side effects. I know when I come completely off them, I feel fantastic and motivated and take off the weight as I am not eating as much and exercising, but I relapse. So, I found a couple of articles saying that once on a maintenance dose, some people can go on antipsychotics every other day to avoid some side effects. I have been doing this for about two weeks. I was on 3 mg every day, but now I am on 3 mg every other day. Before I started this, I spent most of my time sitting on the sofa with my husband, doing everything and not showering often. Now I feel awake and conscious. I realize I need less food. I see the place is a mess and have been tidying up. I hope I won’t relapse."

• Cel...
• October 11, 2022

For Aggressive Behavior "So after trying so many antipsychotics, I finally found the 2 that work for me! I actually have bipolar disorder. We were at the point of giving up hope. I am on Seroquel 200 mg at night, and it wasn’t enough, so we started 1 mg of Haldol in the morning. I immediately noticed so many changes. I wasn’t so angry anymore. Things that I used to throw fits at (I mean yelling, screaming, punching, and throwing) I no longer do! If anything, now I get reasonably annoyed! I CAN LAUGH NOW AND FEEL JOYOUS! I am back to myself without the added anger and mania/manic symptoms of anger that controlled almost every aspect of my life. Haldol has been so, so amazing to me! I would just advise that before you read so deep into reviews, just try it out. What works for some may not work for others and vice versa. Everybody’s chemistry is completely different. Don’t give up hope!!! I too was tired at one point and ready to give up because nothing seemed to be working. Push through! You got this!"

• CiC...
• August 11, 2016

For Tourette's Syndrome "Our daughter was on this when she was in elementary school, it was pretty bad. It made her so terribly tired she couldn't keep up in school. Terrible way for a child to live. Over the summer, we were going on a vacation, and she begged us to take her off it so she wouldn't be so tired, so we had to gradually wean her off and then back on again when school started. Thank goodness the tic eventually went away after about a year or a year and a half or so..."

• ver...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 8, 2016

For Nausea/Vomiting "An ENT doctor put my 79-year-old mother on 1 mg of haloperidol twice a day for 90 days. We did not know she was taking it. She stopped going out to do normal errands, she was in bed a lot, she was losing weight, she had become a zombie, she has no appetite. She was put on it because she was burping a lot and had tried 3 other medications. She has had all kinds of tests to figure out why she was burping all the time, but doctors have not been able to figure it out. This ENT doctor is out of town, but his associate told us this was probably too high of a dosage for an elderly person and recommended he get us a new prescription for .25 mg twice a day, meaning she was taking 4 times the amount. We took her off it, I just hope I get my real mom back."

• Heh...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 15, 2016

For Tourette's Syndrome "Been on Haldol since '74, age 17. Side effects were mostly weight gain and dry mouth. Was at one point taking more than prescribed (on my own, no intent of ODing), which made me lethargic, certainly not up to my usual level. The increase didn't increase or decrease my tics. Seems to have 0 effect. I'm still on Haldol currently (Dec '16) and naturally under Dr.'s care. My physicians in my past, although newer meds are available, keep me on Haldol and monitored, if it's not broke, don't fix it. Honestly, since TS tics wax and wane, I'm not fully aware that the drug at current dosage is helping. I don't try to go without ever, because if tics get worse (my understanding is out of the system in a matter of days), I'm just not willing to endure tics."

• Kmb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 2, 2022

For ICU Agitation "Was recently given Haldol in the hospital by IV when I went in with some other medical issues. I have taken it once before orally when it was prescribed to me for migraines and severe nausea and vomiting, and it gave me the same horrible side effects. This medication is a nightmare. Extreme agitation, and I couldn’t stop moving my arms and legs, uncontrollable shaking, my eyes, tongue, and face started twitching and moving uncontrollably, I couldn’t see straight. Then my muscles locked up in my legs and my jaw, and it was so painful. I couldn’t breathe because it started affecting the muscles in my chest and stomach, and on top of it, I was so tired it was hard to keep my eyes open, but I couldn’t stay asleep because of the restlessness. I also felt this horrible and extremely distressing feeling of impending doom, like I was going to die and wanted to just crawl out of my body to make it stop. I had to go back to the ER to get medication to stop it. Just horrible. Never again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2022

For Mania "I 100% do not recommend haloperidol. All of the other reviews are correct, especially when the research on the injection is done. I experienced Tourette’s, and I was tired all the time. I also couldn’t drive and couldn’t eat like I normally would. It doesn’t help with anything at all. If you plan on taking this, don't! If you want it out of your system, use caffeine and teas, then it should somehow erase it out of your system. I drank an iced coffee in the morning, and I was fine after. For example, I somewhat feel like my normal self again. So once again, I don’t recommend this medication at all. A report needs to be made. It was recommended by a psychiatrist at a behavioral hospital and forced upon me for my exit. The doctor who ordered the injection, who also prescribed me the pill medication to take on top of it, plus who misdiagnosed me, will be reported ASAP."

• res...
• June 4, 2011

Haloperidol for ICU Agitation "Helps with anxiety and racing thoughts. Calms my mood down when angry and upset. Side effect is weight gain and being tired."