Colchicine

Colchicine has been used to manage gout for more than a century. It is now used to calm inflammation from an acute gout attack and prevent future gout attacks. Colchicine prevents movement of the white blood cells that cause inflammation. Because of this, colchicine sometimes is used to treat other inflammatory conditions, such as pseudogout (arthritis from calcium deposits), pericarditis (inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart), familial Mediterranean fever (a genetically inherited condition that causes chronic fever) and vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels).

Most doctors treat acute gout attacks with nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs. In selected circumstances, colchicines still may be used. For acute attacks, one or two, 0.6 mg tablets are taken initially. One additional tablet may be taken every hour or two (maximum eight to 10 tablets per day until improvement or diarrhea occurs) (see side effects below).

More commonly, colchicine is used to prevent gout attacks or other causes of inflammation. The dose is usually one tablet, once or twice a day.

The dose should be reduced in people age 70 or older, people with kidney impairment and patients taking other medicines that can cause an increased level of colchicine (some antibiotics, blood pressure medicines, medicine to prevent organ rejection and more).

Colchicine can take up to a few hours to a few days to relieve inflammation.

There is no recommended blood monitoring; however, your doctor might monitor your blood counts periodically.

Stop taking colchicine if you develop diarrhea, and make sure you drink enough fluids.  Call your doctor if you develop numbness or weakness, as this might represent side effects of colchicine, especially in patients with kidney impairment. Tell your doctor what medications you are taking. They might raise the level of colchicines, so lower doses of colchicines will be used.