Haldol: Medication for Borderline Personality Disorder

Some people hear Haldol (haloperidol) and think about people medicated against their will in hospitals and nursing home, or patients who suffered debilitating side effects from it. While it is true this is not a casual drug to take, and should not be used daily, an expert in the field has been using Haldol on an as-needed basis for years for crisis associated with borderline personality disorders.

While this guide doesn't address the question of what is borderline personality disorder, the disorder is characterized by "black and white" thinking, unpredictable behavior, and intense fear of abandonment. Borderlines are often compared to emotional hemophiliacs, because they feel a wide variety of emotions intensely. Many borderlines engage in impulsive behaviors and suicide attempts when in severe emotional pain, often referred to as dysphoria.

Dr. Leland Heller of Florida cautions that using the non atypical antipsychotic must be done carefully and under medical supervision. Haloperidol is not in wide favor anymore due to the risk of tardive dyskinesia, a side effect with uncontrollable, usually permanent, jerky body movements. However, Heller notes with a 10 percent suicide rate, road rage, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and financial mismanagement, the minimal risks associated with the occasional use of Haldol are outweighed by the ability to use haloperidol quickly to help the patient feel better. If the pill is chewed, the crisis ends in five minutes; ten if the medication is swallowed.

In the case of dysphoria, which is characterized by anxiety, rage, depression, and/or despair, suicidal thoughts, self-destructive impulses, and other stress symptoms, Heller typically advises the patient to take 1 to 2 mg of Haldol. If it does not work, another dose may be taken after 10 to 15 minutes. Heller recommends not taking more than 4 mg of Haldol in an hour, and publishes information both online and in his books on additional medications to combat dysphoria. Some of the suggestions include regular Prozac and Tegretol dosing, extra Tegretol as needed if Haldol doesn't work, and the atypical antipsychotic Risperdal as a last resort.

Heller has seen patients from across the country because their doctors are not prescribing to them properly. In recent years, he has made his methods of treating borderlines public and had numerous reports from non-patients that it worked. Other options, such as Risperdal, are far more expensive and cause significant drowsiness. However, Risperdal can still be used, under supervision, in the rare event Haldol is not working well enough. This borderline personality disorder treatment has been a true breakthrough to ending the pain and suffering those affected by the condition face.

Source:

Biological Unhappiness

http://www.biologicalunhappiness.com

This site, a part of Florida doctor Leland Heller's practice, has dozens of articles and studies about borderline personality disorder, and an assortment of information on generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and many more.