unconventional uses of Haloperidol

Q: Give some unconventional uses of Haloperidol?

Answer: Although Haldol has slowly lost its charm in the ICU over the years due to the availability of safer, centrally acting drugs, it has some immense good properties that make it useful in other non-delirium conditions in the ICU.

• Adjunctive treatment of alcohol and opioid withdrawal
• Treatment of disorders such as tics, Tourette syndrome, and chorea
• Treatment of severe nausea/emesis (postoperative, chemotherapy, etc.)
• Adjunctive treatment of severe chronic pain (with analgesics)
• Also used in the treatment of intractable hiccups

#pharmacology

#toxicity

#GI

#pain

References:

1. Ghaderi-Bafti F, Zarghami M, Ahmadi A, Moosazadeh M, Hadinezhad P, Hendouei N. Effectiveness and Safety of Haloperidol Add-on Methadone in Acute Opium Withdrawal Symptoms of Opioid-dependent Patients: A Double-blind Randomized Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial. Addict Health. 2021 Apr;13(2):85-94. doi: 10.22122/ahj.v13i2.287. PMID: 34703529; PMCID: PMC8519612.

2. Spies CD, Otter HE, Hüske B, Sinha P, Neumann T, Rettig J, Lenzenhuber E, Kox WJ, Sellers EM. Alcohol withdrawal severity is decreased by symptom-orientated adjusted bolus therapy in the ICU. Intensive Care Med. 2003 Dec;29(12):2230-2238. doi: 10.1007/s00134-003-2033-3. Epub 2003 Oct 14. PMID: 14557857.

3. Eddy CM, Rickards HE, Cavanna AE. Treatment strategies for tics in Tourette syndrome. Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2011 Jan;4(1):25-45. doi: 10.1177/1756285610390261. PMID: 21339906; PMCID: PMC3036957.

4. Shahsavari D, Reznick-Lipina K, Malik Z, Weiner M, Jehangir A, Repanshek ZD, Parkman HP. Haloperidol Use in the Emergency Department for Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Nausea, Vomiting, and Abdominal Pain. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2021 Jun 1;12(6):e00362. doi: 10.14309/ctg.0000000000000362. PMID: 34060494; PMCID: PMC8162512.

5. Cowling M, Covington S, Roehmer C, Musey P. Characterizing the role of haloperidol for analgesia in the Emergency Department. J Pain Manag. 2019;12(2):141-146. PMID: 33193995; PMCID: PMC7665221.

6. Woelk CJ. Managing hiccups. Can Fam Physician. 2011 Jun;57(6):672-5, e198-201. Erratum in: Can Fam Physician. 2021 Feb;67(2):84. doi: 10.46747/cfp.670284. PMID: 21673211; PMCID: PMC3114667.