Acipam Tablet 5 mg

Acipam Tablet is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) containing Escitalopram Oxalate 5 mg. Manufactured by Ibn Sina Pharmaceuticals Ltd, this tablet formulation treats depression, anxiety disorders, and OCD. Priced at ৳5.00 per unit, it offers affordable mental health management with proven efficacy.

This medication regulates serotonin levels to improve mood and emotional stability. It’s prescribed for major depressive episodes, panic disorder, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, and OCD. Patients typically start with 10 mg daily, adjustable up to 20 mg based on response. Avoid abrupt discontinuation to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Dosage Guidelines:
For depression: Initial 10 mg dose, potentially increasing to 20 mg. Anxiety disorders require gradual dose escalation. Maximum safety threshold remains 20 mg/day. Take with/without food at consistent times. Therapeutic effects manifest within 2-4 weeks, requiring 6+ months maintenance post-symptom resolution.

• Store below 30°C in moisture-proof packaging
• Contraindicated with MAOIs within 14 days
• Monitor for serotonin syndrome symptoms

Price Structure: 50-strip costs ৳250 (৳50/strip). Affordable pricing makes long-term treatment feasible. Common side effects include nausea, insomnia, and dry mouth. Severe reactions necessitate immediate medical attention. Consult doctors before pregnancy/breastfeeding.

Adults: Initial 10mg once daily, max 20mg. Geriatric: Start with 5mg. Administer with/without food. Treatment duration: Depression-6 months, Panic disorder-several months. Adjust doses for renal/hepatic impairment as needed.

SSRIs are less sedating and have fewer antimuscarinic and cardiotoxic effects than tricyclic antidepressants. Side-effects of the SSRIs include gastrointestinal effects (dose-related and fairly common include nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation), anorexia with weight loss (increased appetite and weight gain also reported) and hypersensitivity reactions including rash, urticaria, angioedema, anaphylaxis, arthralgia, myalgia, and photosensitivity; other side-effects include dry mouth, nervousness, anxiety, headache, insomnia, tremor, dizziness, asthenia, hallucinations, drowsiness, convulsions, galactorrhoea, sexual dysfunction, urinary retention, sweating, hypomania or mania, movement disorders and dyskinesias, visual disturbances.

Pregnancy Category C. Avoid in third trimester. Excreted in breast milk – risk/benefit assessment required.

Caution in epilepsy, hepatic/renal impairment. Monitor ECG in cardiac patients. Screen for bipolar disorder before treatment.

Geriatric: Initiate 5mg. Renal: No adjustment needed for mild-moderate. Hepatic: Start with 5mg. Pediatrics: Contraindicated below 18 years.

Symptoms: Symptoms seen in a reported overdose of escitalopram include symptoms mainly related to the central nervous system (ranging from dizziness, tremor, and agitation to rare cases of serotonin syndrome, convulsion, and coma), the gastrointestinal system (nausea/vomiting), and the cardiovascular system (hypotension, tachycardia, QT interval, prolongation, and arrhythmia) and electrolyte/fluid balance conditions (hypokalaemia, hyponatremia).

Management: There is no specific antidote. Establish and maintain an airway, ensure adequate oxygenation and respiratory function. Gastric lavage and the use of activated charcoal should be considered. Gastric lavage should be carried out as soon as possible after oral ingestion. Cardiac and vital signs monitoring are recommended along with general symptomatic supportive measures. ECG monitoring is advised in case of overdose, in patients with congestive heart failure/bradyarrhythmias, in patients using concomitant medications that prolong the QT-interval, or in patients with altered metabolism, e.g. liver impairment.