Generic Name: Colchicine

Use

Colchicine is used to treat acute flares of gouty arthritis and to prevent recurrent acute attacks. It is also used to treat the inflammation of pseudogout, and other uncommon diseases, such as familial Mediterranean fever, amyloidosis, and scleroderma.

Dosage

Your doctor will decide the correct dosage for your condition. Take this medicine with food. Take this medicine regularly as directed by your doctor, even if you feel well. If you stop taking it too soon, your attacks may return or get worse.

Side effects

The most common side effects of colchicine involve the stomach and bowel and are dose related. These include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. One of the most worrisome side effects of colchicine is that it can damage the bone marrow causing severe anemia and seriously low white blood counts, thereby increasing the risk of infections. All patients taking colchicine long-term require blood count monitoring. Colchicine can also cause hair loss, weakness, and nerve irritation.

Precautions

Colchicine can arrest cell division and is avoided in pregnancy because of possible adverse affects on fetal growth. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to colchicine, have kidney disease or poorly functioning kidneys, have liver disease, have an ulcer in your stomach or another type of stomach disease, have heart disease, have blood problems, or are elderly or debilitated. You may not be able to take colchicine, or you may require a lower dose or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above. It is not known whether colchicine will harm a nursing infant. Do not take colchicine without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.