Why Do Doctors Give Haldol In 2 Doses?

Posted on Fri, 30 Oct 2020

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 Answered on

Tue, 27 May 2025 Last reviewed on

Question : i take in the evening 15 mg haldol and in the morning 4 mg. why do doctors give haldol in 2 doses? is it because 1 dose of haldol only works 12 hours?

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
no

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

haloperidol has a half life that ranges between 14-36 hours. This means that the drug remains active for more than 12 hours. We usually prescribe oral haloperidol in one or two doses per day (that is once or twice a day). I suppose your doctor prescribed a lower dose in the morning to avoid untowards effects like drowsiness during the day and prescribed the higher dose (15mg) in the evening.

Kind Regards,
Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis,
Internal Medicine Specialist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar