Ivecop 12: Uses, How It Works, Side Effects
Also known as: Ivecop, Ivecop 12 mg, Ivecop 12 tablet, Ivermectin 12 mg
Ivecop 12 is a prescription tablet containing 12 mg of ivermectin, used to treat certain parasitic worm infections such as strongyloidiasis (an intestinal threadworm) and onchocerciasis (river blindness). It is taken on a doctor's prescription, often as a single dose on an empty stomach. Ivermectin made for animals is not safe for people and must never be used.
- Active ingredient
- Ivermectin 12 mg
- Type of medicine
- Anthelmintics
- Used for
- Worm infections
- Starts working in
- The medicine acts on the worms within days; stool tests may be repeated over the next months to confirm the infection has gone
- Effect lasts
- Often a single dose; some infections need repeat doses months apart, as your doctor decides
- With or without food
- Usually taken as a single dose on an empty stomach with water; follow the label or your doctor's advice
- Alcohol
- No specific advice was found in the sources; ask your doctor
- Pregnancy
- Safety in pregnancy is not established; tell your doctor if you are or may be pregnant
- Habit-forming
- No
- Made by
- VERIFY on pack
Pharmacist review in progress. This page is based on the sources listed below and is being checked by our registered pharmacist.
On this page
- What is Ivecop 12 used for?
- How does Ivecop 12 work?
- How to take Ivecop 12
- Side effects of Ivecop 12
- Who should be careful
- Medicines and things that interact with Ivecop 12
- If someone takes too much
- Storage
- Regulatory status in India
- Other brands with the same medicine
- Other strengths and forms
- Common questions
What is Ivecop 12 used for?
Ivecop 12 is a prescription medicine. It is used, on a doctor's advice, to treat certain parasitic worm infections.
- Treating strongyloidiasis, a threadworm infection of the intestines
- Treating onchocerciasis (river blindness), where it kills the young worms but not the adult worms
How does Ivecop 12 work?
Ivermectin attaches to channels in the worm's nerve and muscle cells and keeps them open. The worm is paralysed, cannot feed or move, and is cleared from the body. It does not act on all parasites in the same way, so a doctor chooses it for specific infections.
What happens in your body after you take it
You swallow the tablet
It is usually taken as a single dose with water on an empty stomach, as your doctor advises.
It is absorbed and spreads
Ivermectin enters the blood from the gut and spreads to the tissues where the worms live.
It attaches to the worm's cells
In the worm, it locks onto channels in nerve and muscle cells that human cells do not use in the same way.
The worm is paralysed
The worm can no longer move or feed, and dies or is passed out of the body.
The body clears it slowly
Ivermectin and its breakdown products leave mainly through the stool over several days. Stool tests may be repeated to check the infection has cleared.
How to take Ivecop 12
Take Ivecop 12 exactly as your doctor has prescribed or as printed on the pack. Your doctor decides how many tablets you need and whether a repeat dose is required.
- It is usually taken as a single dose on an empty stomach with water.
- Some infections need extra doses months later. Follow the schedule your doctor gives.
- For strongyloidiasis, the doctor may ask for stool tests over the following three months to confirm the infection has cleared.
- If you miss a dose of a course, tell your doctor.
- Continue your normal diet unless your doctor says otherwise. Use only the tablet prescribed for people, never an animal product.
Side effects of Ivecop 12
Most people take ivermectin without serious problems. Some side effects are common and mild, but a few need medical help.
Uncommon or mild
- Dizziness, weakness or loss of appetite
- Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, bloating, diarrhoea or constipation
- Shaking of a body part you cannot control, or chest discomfort
- With onchocerciasis: swelling of the eyes, face or limbs, joint pain, swollen glands, fast heartbeat, eye pain or fever
Rare but serious: get medical help
- Blistering or peeling skin, rash, hives or itching. Get medical help immediately
- Sleepiness, confusion, disorientation or loss of consciousness
- Blurred vision, head or neck pain, seizures or trouble walking or standing (especially after time in West or Central Africa)
- Dizziness or fainting on standing up (get up slowly)
Who should be careful
Some people need to check with a doctor before taking Ivecop 12, or need extra care while taking it.
When the label says not to use it
- Allergy to ivermectin or any ingredient of the tablet
- Products made for animals
- Allergy to ivermectin or any ingredient of the tablet
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding: safety is not established; tell your doctor
- Weakened immune system, such as HIV: tell your doctor
- Time spent in, or travel to, parts of West or Central Africa where loiasis is found: a serious reaction can occur
- Never use ivermectin products made for animals: they can seriously harm people
- Take it only as prescribed and obtained from a legitimate source
Medicines and things that interact with Ivecop 12
Ivecop 12 may interact with other medicines. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about everything you take, including herbal remedies and medicines bought over the counter.
- Prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin and herbal products: tell your doctor so that doses can be adjusted or monitoring increased
- Some medicines, including azithromycin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and cetirizine, have been listed as considerations by the US CDC
If someone takes too much
Taking extra tablets can cause rash, hives, seizures, headache, tingling, weakness, loss of coordination, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness, shortness of breath and swelling. If someone has taken much more than prescribed, call 112 or go to the nearest hospital and take the medicine pack with you.
Storage
Store in a cool, dry place in the original strip, away from light and moisture, and out of the reach of children. Do not use after the expiry date. Check the pack for the exact storage instructions.
Regulatory status in India
Approved for sale in India. Single-ingredient ivermectin is not on the CDSCO list of medicines banned under section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Ivecop 12 should be taken on a doctor's prescription; check the schedule printed on the pack.
Other brands with the same medicine
Ivermectin 12 mg tablets are sold under other brand names and as generic medicines. They contain the same medicine; check the label for the strength. Ivermectin is also made as creams, lotions and animal products, which are different and are not interchangeable.
Other strengths and forms
Ivermectin is also sold in other tablet strengths, and as creams or lotions applied to the skin. The strength and form are printed on the pack and are not interchangeable, so check the label of the one you have.
Common questions
What is Ivecop 12 used for?
Ivecop 12 contains ivermectin, a prescription medicine used on a doctor's advice to treat certain parasitic worm infections, such as strongyloidiasis, an intestinal threadworm, and onchocerciasis (river blindness).
Is Ivecop 12 a single-dose medicine?
It is often given as a single dose, but some infections need repeat doses months later and stool tests to check the infection has cleared. Take it as prescribed and do not repeat or share doses on your own.
Should I take Ivecop 12 with food?
It is usually taken as a single dose on an empty stomach with water. Follow the label or your doctor's advice about food and timing.
Is it safe to use animal ivermectin products?
No. Products made for animals are tested only for particular animal species and can seriously harm people. Use only ivermectin that a doctor has prescribed and that comes from a legitimate pharmacy.
Can I take Ivecop 12 during pregnancy?
Safety in pregnancy has not been established. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, may be pregnant, are planning a baby or are breastfeeding, so that they can weigh the benefits and risks.
Why can ivermectin cause swelling or fever when treating river blindness?
In onchocerciasis, the treatment can bring swelling, joint pain, fever or a fast heartbeat. Tell your doctor about these symptoms. Get up slowly to avoid fainting.
Does Ivecop 12 work for all worms?
No. Doctors choose a worm medicine according to the infection. Ivermectin is used for strongyloidiasis, where albendazole is not effective, while other worms are treated with different medicines.
What is the difference between Ivecop 12 and ivermectin 12 mg?
Ivecop is a brand name and ivermectin is the medicine inside it. Generic ivermectin 12 mg contains the same active ingredient. Check the strength and ingredient list on the pack, and ask your doctor before switching products.
Sources
- Ivermectin. MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine
- Clinical care of scabies. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
- Soil-transmitted helminth infections. World Health Organization
- ATC/DDD Index: P02CF01 Ivermectin. WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology
- List of drugs prohibited for manufacture and sale through gazette notifications under section 26A of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)