What happens if you take colchicine for too long?

Taking more than your prescribed dose of colchicine tablets can be very dangerous. It could be fatal. Symptoms of taking too much colchicine can include: feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)

How long can you safely take colchicine?

For otherwise healthy adults the maximum dose of colchicine in the first 24 hours is 2.5mg and the total dose given in an acute attack should not exceed 6mg over four days.

Can colchicine be taken long term?

Colchicine may be used in 2 ways. Most people take small amounts of it regularly for a long time (months or even years) to prevent severe attacks or other problems caused by inflammation.

What are the long term effects of taking colchicine?

Kidney injury

Typically kidney damage related to colchicine is a direct result of chronic use of the medication at high doses. Because kidney damage is always a concern with any medication, colchicine management should be monitored closely by a medical professional.

Can I take colchicine for 6 months?

It is generally recommended you keep taking colchicine for 3–6 months after the target serum urate level has been reached by taking allopurinol or febuxostat.

Colchicine Tablets for Gout | Mechanism, precautions

Is it OK to take colchicine every day?

Intensive regimen should not be repeated for 3 days

An intensive regimen of colchicine therapy should not be repeated until an interval of at least three days has elapsed between courses. Nevertheless, maintenance therapy of one tablet daily may be commenced the day following treatment for an acute attack.

When should I stop taking colchicine for gout?

Stop taking this medicine as soon as the pain is relieved or at the first sign of nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or diarrhea. Also, stop taking colchicine when you have taken the largest amount that your doctor ordered for each attack, even if the pain is not relieved or none of these side effects occurs.

Is colchicine hard on the kidneys?

Various factors such as depletion of volume/hypotension, rhabdomyolysis and multi-organ failure contribute to renal failure after colchicine intoxication [12]. Up to 20% of colchicine is excreted by the kidneys [13, 14], and this is often associated with renal impairment [15].

Is colchicine toxic to the kidneys?

Renal failure due to colchicine intoxication is due to various factors such as depletion of volume/hypotension, rhabdomyolysis and multiorgan failure. In this case, the hypovolemia was probably the fundamental cause of the acute renal insufficiency as demonstrated by the quick recovery after administering fluids.

Is colchicine hard on liver?

Introduction. Colchicine is a plant alkaloid that is widely used for treatment of gout. Colchicine has not been associated with acute liver injury or liver test abnormalities except with serious overdoses.

Can colchicine affect your heart?

In patients with acute and chronic coronary syndromes, multicentre randomized controlled trials in >11 000 patients followed for up to 5 years demonstrated that colchicine may reduce the risk of CV death, myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke and ischaemia-driven revascularization by >30% (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.49-0.81).

What does colchicine do to your body?

Colchicine works by decreasing swelling and lessening the build up of uric acid crystals that cause pain in the affected joint(s).This medication is also used to prevent attacks of pain in the abdomen, chest, or joints caused by a certain inherited disease (familial Mediterranean fever).

Can colchicine be stopped suddenly?

If you are taking colchicine to prevent gout attacks, and you are also taking another medicine to reduce the amount of uric acid in your body, you probably will be able to stop taking colchicine after a while. However, if you stop taking it too soon, your attacks may return or get worse.

Is colchicine a high risk medication?

Colchicine has a low threshold for toxicity and must be used with extreme care. Colchicine is only indicated for intermittent use and patients will often initiate treatment themselves; therefore the potential exists for a severe drug interaction to occur.

Can I take colchicine for 3 months?

Colchicine should be administered for a total of three months for patients with an initial episode of acute pericarditis. In ICAP, colchicine was given without a loading dose as 0.5 mg twice daily for three months for patients weighing >70 kg or 0.5 mg once daily for patients weighing ≤70 kg.

How quickly does colchicine reduce inflammation?

Key facts. Colchicine starts to work after around 30 minutes to 2 hours, but it may take a day or two for your pain to start to get better.

What to avoid when taking colchicine?

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice

The interaction between colchicine and grapefruit can cause higher levels of colchicine. This can increase the risks of side effects like muscle pain or damage. It's a good idea to avoid grapefruit juice and grapefruit while taking colchicine.

Can colchicine cause muscle damage?

Both colchicine and statin therapy may be associated with myopathy, which usually occurs after several months of therapy. The concomitant use, however, of colchicine and statin has been associated with the rapid onset of muscle weakness.

Does gout mean kidney failure?

Recent studies have found that compared with people who do not have gout, people with gout are: 29 percent more likely to suffer from advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). 200 percent more likely to have kidney failure.

What is the safest gout medication?

Allopurinol is often recommended as the first choice of treatment to control gout. If your doctor prescribes it as soon as you are diagnosed, it may prevent future attacks and joint damage.

How long does it take for colchicine to lower uric acid levels?

Colchicine typically begins to take effect within one hour.

What is a quick cure for gout?

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) can help relieve gout pain and swelling. It may take some time for the relief to kick in—anywhere up to 24 hours. Topical rubs containing capsaicin or other soothing ingredients (like aspercreme, Icy Hot, etc.)

Which is better for gout colchicine or allopurinol?

Zyloprim (allopurinol) works well to prevent gout attacks and is cheaper than some alternatives, but it takes a few weeks to start working. Prevents and treats gout. Colcrys (colchicine) is a second-choice treatment for gout attacks. Be careful how much you use since it can cause problems with your blood.

How much colchicine should I take for gout flare up?

Colchicine should be administered in a total dose on day 1 not to exceed 1.8 mg, typically by taking 1.2 mg for the first dose followed by 0.6 mg an hour later; on subsequent days, colchicine is taken once or twice daily until flare resolution.