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What is the Colchicine Gout Treatment?

Colchicine relieves and prevents gout attacks. However, the side effects of the medication are quite serious. Never take more colchicine than prescribed, and listen to your body regarding what constitutes a safe and effective dose. Also, only use colchicine in tablet form.

  1. About Gout

    • A recurrent form of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and redness in the joints, gout usually strikes the big toe first. Subsequent flare-ups of the condition affect other parts of the body, including the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and fingers. Gut occurs when uric acid builds up in the body rather than getting excreted in the urine. Men who drink alcohol, eat foods high in purines such as liver and beans and have other family members with the condition are most likely to develop gout.

    Colchicine Treatment

    • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved colchicine tablets for relieving and preventing the symptoms of gouty arthritis. Taking one or two tablets at the first sign of symptoms and then another tablet every hour or two tablets every two hours can stop the attack. Preventing attacks requires one tablet each day when attacks have occurred frequently in the past or one tablet on four or five days each week when attacks have occurred rarely. The prescribing information for colchicine notes that each patient will have to determine how much medication she will need to take to get the most therapeutic benefit without experiencing side effects.

    Colchicine Side Effects

    • Discontinue use of colchicine if you feel nauseous, vomit or begin having diarrhea. Treating these gastrointestinal side effects may require medications. Other side effects of colchicine that require medical attention include bloody urine or stools, breathing difficulties, fever, seizures, rash and unexplained bruising.

    Colchicine Warnings

    • Patients with abnormal blood cell counts (blood dyscrasias), kidney failure, severe liver impairment or serious gastrointestinal disorders cannot take colchicine. Also, colchicine works by stopping the division of immune system cells that produce inflammation. High doses of the drug can lead to the suppression of bone marrow and the widespread death of all types of cells (e.g., thrombocytopenia). In February 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered all companies to stop producing colchicine injections. The agency had never reviewed those products for safety and efficacy, and 23 fatalities had occurred in patients who had received overdoses of colchicine via injection.

    Available Colchicine Products

    • Currently, only Watson pharmaceuticals and Concord Laboratories manufacture FDA-approved colchicine tablets. Each company produces tablets that deliver 0.6 mg doses of colchicine.

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