Colchicine

Indications

Fever Gout

Coluric is used to treat sudden gout flare-ups. It's also used for Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) in adults and in children aged 4 years and above.

⚠️ Always consult a registered physician before taking any medicine.

Pharmacology

An acute attack of gout apparently occurs as a result of an inflammatory reaction to crystals of monosodium urate that are deposited in the joint tissue from hyperuric body fluids; the reaction is aggravated as more urate crystals accumulate. Leukocytes migrate to the sites where urate crystals have been deposited and try to engulf the crystals by phagocytosis. As a result lactic acid and proinflammatory enzymes are released which cause inflammation with severe pain, redness, and swelling of the affected joint. Lactic acid favors a local decrease in pH that enhances uric acid deposition. Colchicine inhibits the phagocytosis of uric acid by leukocytes & also diminishes the lactic acid production directly. Thus interrupts the cycle of urate crystal deposition and inflammatory response that sustains the acute attack of gout. Colchicine is absorbed when given orally, reaching a mean Cmax of 2.5 ng/mL (range 1.1 to 4.4 ng/mL) in 1 to 2 hours after a single dose administered under fasting conditions. The mean apparent volume of distribution is approximately 5 to 8 L/kg. Colchicine binding to serum protein is low (39 ± 5%), primarily to albumin regardless of concentration. CYP3A4 is involved in the metabolism of Colchicine to 2-O-demethylcolchicine and 3-O-demethylcolchicine. Plasma levels of these metabolites are minimal (less than 5% of parent drug). Following multiple oral doses (0.6 mg twice daily), the mean elimination half-life is 26.6 to 31.2 hours.

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Category C. There have been no adequate, well-controlled studies of colchicine in pregnant women. Colchicine passes into breast milk, so nursing mothers should use it only with caution.

⚠️ Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Dosage Reference

⚠️ Reference ranges from official sources only. Consult your doctor for personalized dosing.

Adults: Acute gouty arthritis: joint pain and swelling are typically reduced within 12 hours and are usually gone within 24 to 48 hours. An interval of three days between colchicine courses is advised to minimize the possibility of cumulative toxicity. The total amount of colchicine needed to control pain and inflammation during an attack usually ranges from 4 to 8 mg. First dose: 1 to 1.2 mg (two 0.6 mg tablets) at a time, then one 0.6 mg tablet every 2 hours until pain and inflammation are relieved. For prophylaxis during intercritical periods: severe cases may require two or three 0.6 mg tablets daily. For cases involving more than one attack per year, the usual dose is 0.6 mg daily. In patients who have less than one attack per year, the usual dose is 0.6 mg per day, three or four days a week. To reduce the frequency and severity of attacks, colchicine may be administered continuously. For prophylaxis against attacks of gout in patients undergoing surgery: in patients with gout, even a minor surgical procedure may bring on an attack. One 0.6 mg tablet three times daily should be given for three days before and three days after surgery.

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Indications

Pharmacology

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Dosage Reference

Side Effects & Interactions

Side Effects

Key Interactions