Brief Answer:
Please do not worry about the dose of
haloperidol.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to Healthcare Magic!
Unfortunately there is no "cure" for
schizophrenia. But there is a wide range of medications available which can control the disease. There are also many patients who are able to go into remission and quite a few who never again suffer from a relapse.
Now that you are in remission, please do not be in a hurry to stop the medicine. It has been seen that there is a high risk of relapse for around five years after an episode of schizophrenia, and so guidelines suggest that the anti-psychotic medicine be continued for at least 5 years after a person gets well. Since you have already had one setback in the past, in my opinion, you should be cautious and not be in a hurry to stop the medicine. At present, if there are no symptoms, then there appears to be no reason to hike up the dose of haloperidol and you should continue the 15 mg dose as before.
Haloperidol is usually prescribed in dosages up to 20 mg per day. Higher doses are also tried sometimes. So your dose of 15 mg per day is not too high. If you are not having any problems with it, then it is safe enough. But rarely, some people develop
involuntary movements after using
antipsychotic medicines. This risk is with all antipsychotic medicines, though more for older medicines like haloperidol and less for newer ones like
risperidone. You need to be watchful for the appearance of any abnormal movements and inform your doctor if you notice any. Otherwise, you need not worry that the dose of haloperidol is too much.
Hope this clears up things for you. Please feel free to ask if you need any clarifications.
Best wishes.
Dr Preeti Parakh
MD Psychiatry