Colchicine instructions

Today's best Colchicine offers

Common Brand Names: Colchicine

Generic Name: Colchicine

The following product information is not intended to replace the physician's or manufacturer's instructions.

Colchicine Common Medical Uses :
Colchicine is used to prevent or treat attacks of gout (also called gouty arthritis). Colchicine is an ancient remedy for treating joint pain and swelling. Colchicine relieves pain and reduces the inflammation of acute gouty arthritis. The exact way that colchicine works is unknown. It appears to alter your body's response to deposited uric acid crystals. This leads to less swelling and less pain.

How to Use Colchicine:
Colchicine may be used in 2 ways. Most people take small amounts of it regularly for a long time to prevent severe attacks or other problems caused by inflammation. Other people take large amounts of colchicine during a short period of time (several hours) only when the medication is needed to relieve an attack that is occurring. The chance of serious side effects is much lower with the first (preventive) kind of treatment. Because some of side effects of this medication can be very serious, you should discuss with your doctor the good that Colchicine can do as well as the risks of using it.

Take colchicine exactly as directed by your doctor. Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water. To treat an attack, colchicine may be taken up to once every hour until the pain is relieved, until the maximum amount of medicine has been taken, or until nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea occurs. To prevent an attack from occurring, colchicine may be taken every day or several days a week. Follow your doctor's instructions. Never take more medicine than is prescribed to treat an acute gout attack.

Dosing:

The dose of colchicine will be different for different patients. The following information includes only the average doses of this medication. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
For oral dosage form (tablets) for Adults:

• For preventing gout attacks: Most people start with one 0.5 mg or 0.6-mg tablet a day. If gout attacks continue to occur, the doctor may direct you to increase the dose to one tablet two or even three times a day for a while. Some people with mild gout may need only one tablet every other day, or even less.
• For treating a gout attack that has already started: Your doctor will probably recommend one of the following treatment plans. For both plans, stop taking this medicine after you have taken the largest amount ordered by your doctor. If your doctor has not told you the largest amount that you should take for one attack, do not take more than 6 mg of this medicine (a total of twelve 0.5-mg tablets, ten 0.6-mg tablets, or six 1-mg tablets, spread over a period of several hours):
  • One or two 0.5-mg or 0.6-mg tablets for the first dose, then one 0.5-mg or 0.6-mg tablet every one or two hours
  • Two 0.5-mg or 0.6-mg tablets or one 1-mg tablet every two hours.

Colchicine Possible Side Effects:
Although side effects from colchicine are not common, they can occur. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• diarrhea, vomiting
• loss of appetite
• upset stomach

Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor as soon as possible:

• an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face);
• blood in urine
• difficulty breathing
• fever, chills, or sore throat
• nausea, vomiting
• numbness or tingling in hands or feet
• pain or difficulty passing urine
• skin rash, itching
• stomach pain
• swelling of the face or mouth
• unusual bruising or bleeding
• unusual weakness or tiredness

Colchicine Precautions:
Visit your prescriber or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. You may need periodic blood checks if you are taking colchicine regularly. Alcohol can increase the chance of getting stomach problems. It can also increase uric acid concentrations in the blood, which makes a gouty attack more likely. It is best to avoid alcoholic drinks. Do not treat yourself with non-prescription pain-relievers without consulting your health care professional.

Before taking Colchicine, tell your doctor or/and pharmacist:

• if you are allergic to colchicine or any other drugs.
• what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially vitamin B12 and other vitamins.
• if you have or have ever had stomach, intestinal, blood disorder, kidney, liver, or heart problems.
• if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking colchicine, call your doctor.
• if you are to have a urine test, tell your doctor and laboratory personnel that you are taking colchicine because it may affect the test results.

Drug Interactions:
The following drugs and foods may interact with Colchicine:

• alcohol
• antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen)
• clarithromycin
• cyanocobalamin, vitamin B12
• cyclosporine
• erythromycin
• antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid)
• azathioprine (Imuran)
• chloramphenicol ( Chloromycetin)
• cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
• flucytosine (Ancobon)
• interferon (Intron A, Roferon-A)
• mercaptopurine (Purinethol)
• methotrexate (Mexate)
• phenylbutazone (Butazolidin)
• plicamycin (Mithracin)
• zidovudine (Retrovir)

Tell your health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products.

Missed Dose:
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take only your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication.

Overdose:
Seek emergency medical attention. Signs and symptoms of overdose include: berning feeling in the stomach, throat, or skin; diarrhea (severe or bloody); nausea, stomach pain, or vomiting (severe).

• Colchicine
• How to order Colchicine online
• Colchicine 0.6 mg price comparison