Haloperidol and Tremors: What Users Say

• Soc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 2, 2019

Haloperidol for Mania "If you enjoy facial tics, muscle tremors, uncontrollable pacing, rocking back and forth, stuttering, insomnia, extreme restlessness, blackouts, memory lapses, sleeping 14-16 hours a day, and a complete loss of personality, identity, and all emotions then by all means try this med. Since the injection lasts a month, you can look forward to 30 days of these symptoms. I often fantasize about injecting the doc, who gave me this horrible stuff, with a dose and then releasing him out into the world like he did to me."

• Pet...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 16, 2019

Haloperidol for Psychosis "My side effects of Haldol are restlessness and anxiety. The need to move is coupled with the desire not to. Muscle tension and tremors combined with the inability to walk correctly, heavy drooling at the mouth, nausea, and terrible constipation amounting to the inability to have a bowel movement, as well as the inability to urinate without sitting down. In addition, there is the inability to ejaculate."

• bro...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 5, 2015

Haloperidol for Psychosis "Ah, I have a mixed review of Haldol. I started it years ago for psychosis. I've been on many different antipsychotics, and for me, the older typical ones work better than the newer atypicals. For a while, I was so sick I was on both Haldol and Thorazine. That combo really helped a lot. After years of 15 mg of Haldol a day, I developed pseudoparkinsonism. I would shake, I had trouble walking, I couldn't write (couldn't form the letters with a pen), and I was drooling all the time. My doctor told me I wasn't allowed to drive for 6 months. Eventually, it got to the point that my neurologist began to question the pseudoparkinsonism diagnosis -- she thought I was developing actual Parkinson's disease. I think I'm done with Haldol."

• Riv...
• September 28, 2017

For Dementia "A 1.5 mg dose was given to my 88-year-old father, who has slight dementia and is bedbound from a stroke and various other ailments, i.e., advanced prostate cancer. He has a sunny disposition, although he was a bit upset that he had become bedbound. A natural reaction, really. The palliative care nurse who saw him and prescribed it encouraged me to give it to him for 'anxiety' in a very general sense. After three weeks, he became like a zombie, wouldn't do anything except lie there looking lost, no interest in the TV or politics, which he loves. He became extremely frail, shaking hands, and completely incontinent. It scared us. It kept us, the family, up all night with the incontinence. It seems to be administered to keep the oldies quiet. I'm furious."

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 16, 2021

Haloperidol for Dementia "Dangerous for the elderly. My mom was given this in a nursing home, and I was called that she was not eating or drinking liquids for about 2 days. I found out that she was given Haldol. When I looked up the side effects of this drug, I realized that it was caused by the drug. I told the nursing home not to give her the drug anymore, and about 24 hours later, she was able to eat and drink normally. Plus, her hands were shaking like someone who had Parkinson’s disease."

• mmm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2023

Haloperidol for Nausea/Vomiting "Was given for nausea that didn’t respond to Zofran. Almost immediately after the IM injection, I became drowsy and agitated and had such bad anxiety I felt like I needed to leave the hospital. I was up all night with muscle twitches and anxiety, I couldn’t stop pacing. Ended up going back to the hospital for Ativan and Benadryl, and I was told my reaction was a common reaction to Haldol. It took me days to feel back to normal. I’d rather be sick than take this ever again!"

• Ash...
• December 22, 2016

For Psychosis "Was put on Haldol after being put on several atypicals: Abilify (no effect), Risperdal (high blood pressure/ heart arrhythmia), Geodon (panic attacks/ nightmares). Glad I was switched. Have noticed some side effects with Haldol (slight tremor/ restlessness), but nothing serious. Will definitely be sticking with this medication. Works better for me than the newer meds."

• Gla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2017

For Aggressive Behavior "I was prescribed Haldol for aggression (agitation) when I was hospitalized for bipolar disorder. The psychiatrist I had had a very abrasive personality and prescribed it after I hauled off on staff without telling me anything about it, not even the name. I became extremely shaky, could not hold my head up, was very drowsy, and just couldn't function. I literally screamed at my doctor to take me off of it when he gave me something to counteract the shakiness. I was fine then. When I was discharged, he was going to give me straight Haldol, but I argued with him (and won)."

• Tye...
• September 14, 2014

For Psychosis "Out of all the neuroleptics I've been on, haloperidol helped my paranoia far better. I did not experience weight gain at all, but I take benztropine for muscle spasms, tremors in my hands, and muscle stiffness. All of these are side effects from the haloperidol."

• eli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 10, 2017

For Psychosis "I was given this medication for bipolar to replace all atypical antipsychotics that cause weight gain. I heard typical antipsychotics don't cause weight gain. So I told my doctor to give me a typical antipsychotic, and she gave me haloperidol 2 mg. The good news is that my psychosis or my depression or whatever got much, much better. The bad news is that I can't stop moving around. If I sit down, I can only stay down for 5 to 10 minutes, then I have to get up, and when I'm sitting down, I move around a lot. My psychiatrist told me to live with it. It's either weight gain or unstoppable moving. What a witch. But eventually, the shaking stopped for some reason, and I don't move around anymore. Go figure. I also didn't gain weight, so that's good."

• eli...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 3, 2022

For Psychosis "I had to play around with the dosage, but I finally found the right dose. I took the 10 mg, and it worked, but I couldn't stop moving around and had restlessness. My psychiatrist gave me benztropine for the shaking, and it stopped. But for some reason, he took away the benztropine. So my psychiatrist gave me 5 mg, and I still had the moving around and restlessness. So finally, I was given the 2 mg, and for some reason, not only did it stop my psychosis, but the restlessness and moving around had stopped."

• Ter...
• March 20, 2019

"I witnessed a doctor recommend and give instructions to inject Haldol without a diagnosis. Experienced extreme agitation, pacing, tremors, insomnia, depression, weight loss, confusion, and overall poor quality of life. Nothing could really be done except give some beta blockers and wait 30 days. We even had to move to a more remote area for the time being to minimize contact with other people. This is because the behavior is alarming and uncontrollable. He also had trouble speaking during this time. He does not have Tourette's! My friend doesn't have anything that would need to be medicated for except now depression. I read a similar experience. This drug should not be used."

• 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."

• 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."

• Lul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 26, 2019

For Nausea/Vomiting "Was given this med through IV in the ER for severe stomach cramping and vomiting. It helped the cramping in my stomach and vomiting, but the moment they administered this drug, I knew something was wrong. My legs started getting sore and cramping up on their own. Parts of my body would twitch and shake, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I thought I was having a mental break. I was terrified that I’d be stuck like this forever, with the awful panic that also came along with this med. Went right back into emerg and had them give me Benadryl and a pill to reverse the effects. Never AGAIN!!!!"

• Lul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 26, 2019

For Nausea/Vomiting "Was given this med through IV in the ER for severe stomach cramping and vomiting. It helped the cramping in my stomach and vomiting, but the moment they administered this drug, I knew something was wrong. My legs started getting sore and cramping up on their own. Parts of my body would twitch and shake, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I thought I was having a mental break. I was terrified that I’d be stuck like this forever, with the awful panic that also came along with this med. Went right back into emerg and had them give me Benadryl and a pill to reverse the effects. Never AGAIN!!!!"