What is colchicine?
Colchicine affects the way the body responds to uric acid crystals, which reduces swelling and
pain.
Because colchicine was developed prior to federal regulations requiring FDA review of all
marketed drug products, not all uses for colchicine have been approved by the FDA. As of 2009,
Colcrys is only brand of colchicine that has been approved by the FDA.
The Colcrys brand of colchicine is FDA-approved to treat gout in adults, and to treat a genetic
condition called Familial Mediterranean Fever in adults and children who are at least 4 years old.
Generic forms of colchicine have been used to treat or prevent attacks of gout, or to treat
symptoms of Behcets syndrome (such as swelling, redness, warmth, and pain).
Colchicine is not a cure for gouty arthritis or Behcets syndrome, and it will not prevent these
diseases from progressing.
Colchicine should not be used as a routine pain medication
for other conditions.
Colchicine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking colchicine?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to colchicine. Do not take colchicine
if you have liver or kidney disease and are also taking any of the medications listed below under "What
other drugs can affect colchicine."
If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to
safely take colchicine:
It is not known whether colchicine is harmful to an unborn baby. Before
taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether colchicine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby.
Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should I take colchicine?
If your doctor has prescribed the Colcrys brand of colchicine, do not use any other type or
brand of the medication. Colcrys is the only brand of colchicine that has been approved by the FDA. If
you use a generic brand of colchicine, you may be using an unapproved dose of this medication, which
could be dangerous. Do not purchase colchicine on the Internet or from vendors outside of the United
States. Using this medication improperly or without the advice of a doctor can result in serious side
effects or death.
Take colchicine exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take it in larger amounts or for
longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
Colchicine can be taken with or without food.
Your dose will depend on the reason you are taking this medication. Colchicine doses for
gout and Mediterranean fever are different.
To treat a gout attack, for best results take colchicine at the first sign of the attack. The longer
you wait to start taking the medication, the less effective it may be.
You may need to take a second lower dose of colchicine 1 hour after the first dose if you still
have gout pain. Follow your doctor's instructions.
If you use this medication over a long period of time, your blood may need to be tested on a
regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.
Store colchicine at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.
What happens if I miss a dose of colchicine?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait
until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose.
Do not
take extra medicine
to make up the missed dose.
Where can I get more information about colchicine?
Your pharmacist has information about colchicine written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of colchicine?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:
-
muscle pain or weakness;
-
numbness or tingly feeling in your fingers or toes;
-
pale or gray appearance of your lips, tongue, or hands;
-
severe vomiting or diarrhea;
-
easy bruising or bleeding, feeling weak or tired;
-
fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;
-
blood in your urine; or
-
urinating less than usual or not at all.
Less serious side effects may include:
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your
doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at
1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about colchicine?
Because colchicine was developed prior to federal regulations requiring FDA review of all
marketed drug products, not all uses for colchicine have been approved by the FDA. As of 2009,
Colcrys is only brand of colchicine that has been approved by the FDA.
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to colchicine. Do not take colchicine
if you have liver or kidney disease and are also taking any of the medications listed below under "What
other drugs can affect colchicine."
Before taking colchicine, tell your doctor if yo have liver or kidney disease, heart disease, a
stomach ulcer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, intestinal bleeding, or any other severe gastrointestinal
disorder.
If you take colchicine over a long period of time, your blood may need to be tested on a regular
basis. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.
Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as muscle pain or weakness,
numbness or tingly feeling in your fingers or toes, severe vomiting or diarrhea, easy bruising or bleeding,
feeling weak or tired, flu symptoms, blood in your urine, urinating less than usual or not at all, or a pale
or gray appearance of your lips, tongue, or hands.
What should I avoid while taking colchicine?
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with colchicine and lead to potentially dangerous
effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit products with your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the
amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor.
What other drugs will affect colchicine?
Colchicine can interact with certain other drugs.
A colchicine drug interaction
can be fatal. Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially:
-
conivaptan (Vaprisol);
-
digoxin (Lanoxin, digitalis);
-
diclofenac (Arthrotec, Cataflam, Voltaren, Flector Patch,
Solareze);
-
imatinib (Gleevec);
-
isoniazid (for treating tuberculosis);
-
quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, Quin-Release);
-
an antidepressant such as nefazodone;
-
an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin),
dalfopristin/quinupristin (Synercid), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), or
telithromycin (Ketek);
-
an antifungal medication such as clotrimazole (Mycelex
Troche), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or voriconazole (Vfend);
-
cholesterol-lowering medicines such as atorvastatin
(Lipitor), fenofibrate (Antara, Lipofen, TriCor), gemfibrozil (Lopid), simvastatin (Zocor),
lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), and others;
-
heart or blood pressure medication such as amiodarone
(Cordarone, Pacerone), diltiazem (Cartia, Nifedical, Cardizem), felodipine (Plendil), nicardipine
(Cardene), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan), and
others;
-
HIV or AIDS medication such as atazanavir (Reyataz),
delavirdine (Rescriptor), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept),
saquinavir (Invirase), or ritonavir (Kaletra, Norvir); or
-
medicines used to prevent organ transplant rejection, such
as cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), sirolimus (Rapamune), or tacrolimus (Prograf).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with
colchicine. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins,
minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication
without telling your doctor.
What happens if I have an overdose of colchicine?