Haldol vs. Invega

Haldol (haloperidol) and Invega (paliperidone) are antipsychotic drugs used to treat schizophrenia.

Haldol is also used to control motor (movement) and verbal (for example, Tourette's syndrome) tics and is used to treat severe behavior problems in children.

Side effects of Haldol include:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• diarrhea,
• dry mouth,
• nervousness,
• headache,
• dizziness,
• spinning sensation,
• drowsiness,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• restlessness,
• anxiety,
• skin rash,
• itching,
• spontaneous eye movements,
• mood changes,
• breast enlargement,
• irregular menstrual periods,
• loss of interest in sex,
• blurred vision,
• difficulty urinating or urinating less than usual, and
• occasional movement disorders

Severe side effects of Haldol include:

• death in the elderly,
• prolongation of the QT heartbeat interval,
• tardive dyskinesia (involuntary movements), prolonged erection (hours),
• a symptom complex sometimes referred to as neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) with fever,
• irregular heartbeats,
• mental status changes, and
• renal failure

Common side effects of Invega include:

• drowsiness,
• dizziness,
• headache,
• lightheadedness,
• abdominal/stomach pain,
• upset stomach,
• nausea,
• weight gain,
• cough,
• dry mouth,
• breast swelling or discharge,
• changes in menstrual periods,
• restlessness,
• shaking (tremor),
• blurred vision,
• decreased sex drive,
• impotence, or
• difficulty having an orgasm.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Invega including:

• difficulty swallowing,
• muscle spasms,
• mental/mood changes, or
• signs of infection (such as fever, persistent sore throat),
• high fever,
• sweating,
• confusion,
• fast or uneven heartbeats,
• feeling like you might pass out,
• tremors (uncontrolled shaking),
• trouble swallowing,
• sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body,
• sudden and severe headache, or problems with vision, speech, or balance,
• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, or
• white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips.

Haldol (haloperidol) is an antipsychotic drug that decreases excitement in the brain. Haldol is used to treat psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, to control motor (movement) and verbal (for example, Tourette's syndrome) tics and is used to treat severe behavior problems in children.

Haldol is also used to treat or manage:

• Schizophrenia
• manic or mixed episodes that happen with bipolar I disorder
• major depressive disorder (MDD) when ABILIFY is used with antidepressant medicines
• irritability associated with autistic disorder
• Tourette's disorder

Haldol Injection is a prescription medicine used to treat:

• agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar mania

It is not known if Haldol is safe or effective in children:

• under 13 years of age with schizophrenia
• under 10 years of age with bipolar I disorder
• under 6 years of age with irritability associated with autistic disorder
• under 6 years of age with Tourette's disorder

Invega (paliperidone) extended-release tablets are indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults and adolescents (12-17 years of age)

Haldol may interact with other drugs so the patient needs close observation or monitoring to determine if other side effects develop.

If you are taking, or plan to take, any prescription or over-the-counter drugs, as there is a potential for interactions.

Do not drink alcohol while taking Invega.

Haldol (ziprasidone HCl) is available as capsules and Haldol (ziprasidone mesylate) is available as an injection for intramuscular use.

Haldol Capsules should be administered at an initial daily dose of 20 mg twice daily with food. For intramuscular dosing, the recommended dose of Haldol is 10 mg to 20 mg administered as required up to a maximum dose of 40 mg per day.

The recommended dose of Invega Extended-Release Tablets for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults is 6 mg once daily, and the recommended dose for adolescents 12-17 years of age is 3 mg once daily.