I just got started on a new medicine haldol and lithium with ativan for anxiety. He switched me to haldol cause he said it was weight neutral. He mentioned a bunch of different anti psychotics but decided on the haldol. The haldol seems to be working, i noticed i’m not hearing voices as much. He put me on lithium since i was manic and wasn’t sleeping at night. What’s your experience with these meds? doesn’t have to have been taken together.
I have had a shot of Haldol when I was in the Hospital - It brought me down from a severe Mixed State in hours - A very effective med. I recently asked my pdoc if I could get on Haldol as maintenance, as I was in the process of switching meds at the time. My pdoc said that although Haldol is an effective med - she did not want to turn me into a “zombie” those were her words.
It seems that she does not turn to the older typical antipsychotics for her patients - and in a way this is a shame, because old fashioned meds like Haldol are excellent for psychosis, but maybe she didnt think that Haldol was the right drug for me since my psychosis is not constant. Best of luck to you on the Haldol - its a good med
I think my son was on Haldol once but only inpatient. Lithium he was on for about 2 years. Recently came off it. To my knowledge Lithium is more like an add-on medication for sz and/or bipolar. I don’t recall hearing many negative stories about it.
so far the meds seem to be working. I’ve noticed less psychosis, i’m still hearing voices but not as often. And the lithium has really balanced out my mood, I’ve also noticed that my in laws have noticed a difference they keep saying they like this new me. I feel a little offended every time they say that, its just nothing was wrong with the old me.
Sometimes people can say the wrong things when they are trying to show support. For everyone there is always room for improvement. Being better then you were yesterday doesn’t mean you were bad yesterday.
Haldol gave me horrible involuntary movements and it progressed into my muscles clenching for hours.
I ended up stuck in a sideways position. Had to go to the hospital to get an injection.
It was very painful and my job fired me because thats where it began. As i was handing people money my entire arm began to up and away all by itself. I asked to go because i was in serious ■■■■ and they just fired me on the spot.
Which is strange because that happens to possessed people sometimes, odd coincidence there.
Both Haldol and Lithium are gold standards. They’ve been around forever, and have been extensively researched. What’s your Haldol dose? I’ve been on as much as 80, and as little as 10 mg. Lithium is great, but it can affect the kidneys and thyroid. It also has a therapeutic window which can be quantified through blood work. So there is likely a fair amount of blood work in your future. But it’s worth it. Good luck @cbbrown!
I’ve been on both in the past. Be careful with the Lithium. After being on it for years a gland in my parathyroid grew to 5 times its normal size. My doctor knew something was wrong because my calcium levels were very high and I started getting kidney stones (very very painful). The surgeon said it was from being on Lithium. You have to be careful with Haldol also. The last time I went in the hospital they were feeding me them like they were candy. It’s a powerful drug because after a couple of days I started to come back to reality. I’m glad you’re feeling better but I wouldn’t stay on those meds long term if I were you. 
I have been on Haldol but it was long ago and all I remember was that I had some side effects that required taking Cogentin. I don’t really remember what those side effects were but I think they were stiffness and dry mouth.
As for Lithium, I took it for a while and I really liked it. I felt good while I was on it. I’d wake up in the morning with a content feeling I hadn’t known before. Unfortunately, it started messing with my body and they took me off of it.
i took haldol for about a year and quit taking it because the cogentin would make my eyes blurry so i couldnt read. im on thorazine now and its alot better.
My haldol dose is just 10mgs at night, before bed. I never thought of it like that before BarbieBF. I have to call my doctor today and ask for refills for my meds because i don’t see him again for another month. The new therapist said give the haldol a bit more time to work before telling my pdoc that i still hear voices,
Most guidelines call for a 4-6 week trial of a medication before deciding what to do next. Sometimes, there is very gradual improvement over a period of up to 6 months. Give it time. 