What about Generic Haldol?

Written by Dr. Leland Heller

QUESTION:

I'm confused. You wrote on your website that generic Haldol doesn't work. My doctor told me he'd give me it but they said at the drug store that I can't get it. They said I can only get generic. What should I do?

DR. HELLER'S ANSWER:

Brand name Haldol (haloperidol) was significantly better than generic, however it's no longer manufactured. I used to prescribe 0.5mg of the brand name. Now that the brand name isn't available I've discovered that 2mg of the generic haloperidol works approximately the same as 0.5mg of the brand name Haldol. Some patients do well with lower doses. The problem with the higher generic dose is that more patients experience dystonic reactions where the muscles (particularly of the jaw) tense up and spasm. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) usually stops and/or prevents these episodes, Cogentin (benztropine) is an alternative.

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