Drug interactions
Haloperidol + Hydromorphone
Severity: Moderate
Haloperidol and Hydromorphone: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Haloperidol with an opioid can increase sedation and, less often, hypotension or respiratory depression. The combination is common in palliative and delirium care and is usually manageable. Hydromorphone is not meaningfully dependent on CYP2D6, so a pharmacokinetic effect is unlikely.
What this interaction means in plain words
Haloperidol and Hydromorphone can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Haloperidol belongs to Central Nervous System; Hydromorphone belongs to Musculoskeletal.
Why it happens
Additive CNS depressant effects of opioid agonism and antipsychotic receptor blockade.
What to do
Titrate both drugs gradually and monitor level of consciousness and respiratory rate. Reduce doses if excess sedation develops.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Hydromorphone
- Alvimopan + Hydromorphone Contraindicated
- Bupropion-naltrexone + Hydromorphone Contraindicated
- Hydromorphone + Isocarboxazid Contraindicated
- Hydromorphone + Olanzapine / samidorphan Contraindicated
- Hydromorphone + Phenelzine Contraindicated
- Hydromorphone + Tranylcypromine Contraindicated
Other interactions of Haloperidol
- Dofetilide + Haloperidol Contraindicated
- Dronedarone + Haloperidol Contraindicated
- Haloperidol + Ibutilide Contraindicated
- Haloperidol + Levoketoconazole Contraindicated
- Haloperidol + Panobinostat Contraindicated
- Haloperidol + Pimozide Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Haloperidol with Hydromorphone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Haloperidol and Hydromorphone can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Haloperidol with an opioid can increase sedation and, less often, hypotension or respiratory depression. The combination is common in palliative and delirium care and is usually manageable. Hydromorphone is not meaningfully dependent on CYP2D6, so a pharmacokinetic effect is unlikely.
How serious is the interaction between Haloperidol and Hydromorphone?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Titrate both drugs gradually and monitor level of consciousness and respiratory rate. Reduce doses if excess sedation develops.
What other medicines interact with Hydromorphone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Hydromorphone with, for example, Alvimopan, Bupropion-naltrexone, Isocarboxazid. The full list is on the Hydromorphone page.
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