Apicord 20mg Tablet is an antipsychotic medicine used to treat mood disorders like schizophrenia, irritability linked with autism, and Tourette's syndrome. Besides this, Apicord 20mg Tablet also helps in managing mental depression along with other antidepressant medicines. Schizophrenia affects the ability of a person to feel, think and behave clearly. Tourette's syndrome is a mental disorder characterized by uncontrollable, repetitive movements or unwanted sounds (tics). Psychosis may be caused by disturbances in chemical messenger activity known as neurotransmitters (like dopamine and serotonin) in the brain.

Apicord 20mg Tablet contains Aripiprazole, which stabilizes and blocks the dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain, preventing its overactivity, thereby controlling the positive symptoms like hallucinations, misbelief, and unfriendly characteristics of schizophrenia. Apicord 20mg Tablet improves the activity of dopamine and serotonin receptors in other areas of the brain. It helps control negative symptoms (like lack of emotion, social isolation, poor attention, and memory loss) of schizophrenia. Thus, Apicord 20mg Tablet improves mood swings, depression, and other psychotic problems. 

Take Apicord 20mg Tablet as prescribed. Your doctor will advise you how often you take Apicord 20mg Tablet based on your medical condition. Some people may experience drowsiness, headache, tiredness, akathisia (inability to sit still), difficulty sleeping, light-headedness, indigestion, shaking, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and increased saliva production. Most of these side effects of Apicord 20mg Tablet do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.

If you are allergic to Apicord 20mg Tablet or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Apicord 20mg Tablet should be used with caution in elderly patients above 65 years of age. There is an increased risk of adverse reactions such as dizziness, inability to move and balance, orthostatic hypotension (fall in blood pressure when standing up), and drowsiness. Avoid taking Apicord 20mg Tablet if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and consult a doctor. Apicord 20mg Tablet is not recommended for children below 15 years of age. If you have any self-harming thoughts or behaviour while taking Apicord 20mg Tablet, please contact a doctor immediately. If you have diabetes, abnormal blood pressure, high cholesterol, fits, involuntary muscle movements, especially in the face, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), blood clots, a history of stroke or heart attack, kidney or liver problems, inform your doctor before taking Apicord 20mg Tablet.

Apicord 20mg Tablet contains Aripiprazole, which helps treat various psychotic conditions like schizophrenia, mood disorders (such as mania and bipolar disorder), and sometimes depression. Apicord 20mg Tablet inhibits the dopamine receptor in our brain, thereby controlling the positive symptoms (like hallucinations, misbelief, and unfriendliness) and negative symptoms (like social isolation, lack of emotion, poor attention, and memory loss) of schizophrenia. Thus, Apicord 20mg Tablet improves overall behaviour and thoughts and helps people have a better social life and comfortably do daily activities. Apicord 20mg Tablet may be used in combination with other medicines to treat depression. Additionally, Apicord 20mg Tablet is also used to reduce the severity of unwanted sounds (tics) in Tourette's syndrome (a nervous system problem that causes unwanted sounds or sudden movements).

• Drowsiness

• Headache

• Tiredness

• Akathisia (inability to sit still)

• Difficulty in sleeping

• Light-headedness

• Indigestion

• Shaking

• Blurred vision

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Anxiety

• Increased saliva production

If you are allergic to Apicord 20mg Tablet or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Apicord 20mg Tablet should be used with caution in elderly patients above 65 years of age as there is an increased risk of adverse reactions such as dizziness, changes in the ability to move and balance, orthostatic hypotension (fall in blood pressure when standing up), and drowsiness. Avoid taking Apicord 20mg Tablet if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and consult a doctor. Apicord 20mg Tablet is not recommended for children below 15 years of age. If you have any self-harming thoughts or behavior while taking Apicord 20mg Tablet, please contact a doctor immediately. If you develop impulse control disorders such as excessive eating, spending, addictive gambling, or abnormally high sex drive, inform your doctor so that the dose may be adjusted appropriately, or are advised to stop taking Apicord 20mg Tablet. If you have diabetes, abnormal blood pressure, high cholesterol, fits, involuntary muscle movements especially in the face, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), blood clots, history of stroke or heart attack, kidney or liver problems, inform your doctor before taking Apicord 20mg Tablet.

Drug-Drug Interaction: Apicord 20mg Tablet may have interaction with medicines used to lower high blood pressure (metoprolol), antipsychotics (olanzapine), antidepressants (fluoxetine, paroxetine, venlafaxine), antifungals (itraconazole, ketoconazole), medicines used to treat irregular heartbeat (amiodarone, flecainide, quinidine), HIV drugs (nevirapine, efavirenz, indinavir, ritonavir), painkillers (ibuprofen), antibiotics (rifampicin, rifabutin), anticonvulsants (phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital).

Drug-Food Interaction: Apicord 20mg Tablet may interact with grapefruit juice. Therefore, avoid intake of grapefruit juice with Apicord 20mg Tablet as it may reduce the effect of Apicord 20mg Tablet. Avoid taking St. John's Wort (herbal medicine used to treat depression) as it may interact with Apicord 20mg Tablet. Also, avoid alcohol intake as it may increase side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness or difficulty in concentrating.

Drug-Disease Interaction: If you have diabetes, abnormal blood pressure, high cholesterol, fits, involuntary muscle movements especially in the face, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), blood clots, history of stroke or heart attack, liver or kidney problems, inform your doctor before taking Apicord 20mg Tablet.

• METOPROLOL
• OLANZAPINE
• FLUOXETINE
• PAROXETINE
• VENLAFAXINE
• ITRACONAZOLE
• KETOCONAZOLE
• AMIODARONE
• FLECAINIDE
• QUINIDINE
• NEVIRAPINE
• EFAVIRENZ
• INDINAVIR
• RITONAVIR
• IBUPROFEN
• RIFAMPICIN
• RIFABUTIN
• PHENYTOIN
• CARBAMAZEPINE
• PHENOBARBITAL

• Limit the intake of caffeine as it may reduce the effectiveness of Apicord 20mg Tablet.

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Eat more fish, especially oily fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel, pilchards and herring.

• Cut down sugars, salt and saturated fats.

• Drink adequate water to keep the body hydrated.

• Do regular exercise and maintain a stable weight as Apicord 20mg Tablet may cause weight gain.

• Avoid consumption of alcohol as it may increase drowsiness.

• Elderly patients more than 65 years with dementia-related psychosis treated with Apicord 20mg Tablet can be at an increased risk of death. 

• Apicord 20mg Tablet is not prescribed and approved for the treatment of dementia-related psychosis. 

• Increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior changes has been observed in children, adolescents, and young adults taking Apicord 20mg Tablet, so close monitoring for worsening and the emergence of suicidal thoughts and behaviours is required.  

Schizophrenia: It is a mental disorder that affects a person's ability to feel, think and behave clearly. Mania is a mental condition that causes intense excitement, high energy, and delusions (misbeliefs). Mania may occur due to lack of sleep or sleep pattern changes, high levels of stress, and alcohol intake. Seek medical help immediately if you have any self-harming or suicidal thoughts.

Bipolar disorder: It is also called manic depression, associated with extreme mood swings ranging from manic highs to depressive lows. The symptoms of bipolar disorder include mania (high energy and excitability) and depression (loss of interest, hopelessness, low energy). Bipolar disorder involves lifelong treatment. 

Depression: It is a mental condition characterized by low mood and a loss of interest in activities. People affected by this condition are often unsocial and try to keep isolated from other social activities.