Colchicine gout treatment. Colchicine will probably stop your gout attack but NSAIDs are better if they workCOLCHICINE GOUT TREATMENT - GOUT PAIN RELIEF Colchicine gout treatment has been around for about 2,000 years, although it's been in and out of favour a few times over the centuries. It has only been available in tablet form since 1936, when its modern use begins. It is derived from the dried seeds of the autumn crocus (meadow saffron) plant. Someone, somewhere, all those years ago, discovered it is a useful gout medicine. Colchicine for gout works by stopping inflammation because it halts neutrophils from entering the inflamed area. Colchicine does not affect uric acid levels or dissolve the MSU gout crystals. Because of its side effects, and because it doesn’t work as fast as NSAID’s (including Indomethacin), it is not a first choice remedy. It is only taken when NSAIDs don’t work or are inappropriate for a person’s medical condition. It doesn’t work for everyone but it has a good gout pain reduction success rate (perhaps about 75%) within 12-24 hours of taking it and inflammation subsides within two days. It should be taken within 12 hours of a gout attack if it is to work most effectively. July 29 2009. US FDA approves Colcrys, a Colchicine gout treatment medication Colchicine was the very first gout pain remedy - about 2,000 years ago - but surprisingly, in the U.S., a Colchicine medication called Colcrys was only approved for use in gout treatment by the US FDA in July 2009. Colchicine has been an acknowledged and marketed gout drug medication in the U.S. and elsewhere, in modern times, since 1936. In 1939 it was approved by the FDA in a combo product - combined together with a compound that excretes uric acid. Get the dosage right Colchicine's dose amount is very important. Colchicine is taken orally as a tablet. The latest FDA recommendation for the U.S., which readers in other countries can note, is that 1.2mg followed by 0.6mg one hour later is sufficient for a day - a total of 1.8mg. In some countries it is taken hourly for six hours, or until the gout attack and pain ceases, or until side effects occur. Another dose is 1mg initially followed by 0.5 mg three times daily. However, a 2009 study showed that hourly, or four times daily doses are not necessary. The study also learnt that a lower dose meant fewer side effects. Neither were there any serious adverse events with the lower dose, whereas there were 10 among high dose patients. Make sure you can take it People with kidney, liver and bone marrow disorders should not take Colchicine for gout. It should not be taken for any other kind of pain, only gout attacks pain. People who have a low white blood cell count should not take it. This usually makes it too risky for the elderly. Colchicine should be prescribed very carefully. You can download Colcrys prescribing information and a medication guide here - it's the Colcrys website. Possible side effects include stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. Diarrhea is very likely in a majority of people who take Colchicine for gout. If this happens, inform your doctor quickly. Pay attention to how Colchicine affects you. Other drugs may increase the side effects. It is contraindicated with some prescription drugs - your doctor should check the contraindicated list carefully.You should not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice if you are taking it. A Colchicine overdose is dangerous and can be fatal. And an FDA analysis discovered deaths from Colchicine doses that were not overdoses. These doses were less than or equal to 2mg daily, although many of the deaths may have been among people who had kidney and liver problems. About half of those who died, and who hadn't taken a dose higher than 2mg daily, were also taking clarithromycin. Note that deaths have also occured in patients who have taken Colchicine intravenously. More detailed prescribing information can be found at www.drugs.com. This site (link further on, this paragraph) includes a list of many of the medications (not all) that should not be taken with Colchicine. We suggest you also read the paragraphs entitled "What is the most important information I should know about Colchicine?" And, "How should I take Colchicine?" To read about this, visit www.drugs.com's Colchicine page. Colchicine gout treatment is sometimes undertaken in a secondary way. It may be prescribed in low dosage, and for limited use, as an advance preventative. That is, it may be prescribed before starting a course of long term treatment with for example Allopurinol or Probenecid. The reason is that long term gout treatments that lower the uric acid level can trigger gout attacks. So the idea is that Colchicine halts an attack, whilst the other drug works to reduce the uric acid level. A new gout drug under development called Arcalyst, which has probably fewer side effects than Colchicine, may also be used in this role in the future. Or it may one day replace Colchicine gout treatment. Read more about
Arcalyst here.
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