Everything You Know About Colchicine

Colchicine is strong, strong prescription. It's extracted from crocuses! Men, this one's going to stop uric acid from building in your joints. You know what that means: it's a medication for gout. You'll take different doses depending on your needs. Expect 1.2 mg when you're handling a current gout attack. Men, you'll often get 0.6 mg daily when you're stopping future gout attacks from happening. Sometimes, your doc's going to recommend 2 doses a day! But if you've got kidney damage or you're a senior? Expect lower doses!

Men, you already know this med's a gout treatment. It's going to give you immediate gout pain relief. Obviously, though, you've got more choices for gout medicine. Herbal medicine for uric acid and gout supplements are common for many, many men instead of colchicine tablets! Of course, you know what comes before taking this med. Men, you need to know how it works and talk to your doc to make sure it's the best treatment for gout for you!

How It Works

Colchicine is so common, so common. It's going to stop inflammation in its tracks! It'll change how your body handles uric acid too. Men, it's so good! This med's going to bind to tubulins, a type of protein. It'll stop the assembly of microtubules this way! Men, you'll find that this med keeps cell division under control. Such strong control! It's going to do this for cytokine and chemokine secretion too. What a win, right? The best win. Everyone knows this med's so effective because it blocks tubulins. It works wonders! And guess what, there's more. Men, it's also going to stop neutrophils from moving in certain ways. That means it's got a direct effect on the uric acid crystals you see in gout.

Best Uses

Men, you know it's clear. The med's amazing, so amazing, for treating gout. The best! It'll tackle gout flares and the symptoms they bring. Yes. And guess what? Oh, you know it already. Some brands of this med even stop the attacks from happening! Win. Men, this med's got even more uses. It'll tackle familial Mediterranean fever and the pain it triggers in your chest, joints, and abdomen. Hey! Colchicine's even going to handle Behcet's syndrome and the pain, swelling, and redness it brings.

Yes! Med, there are even some 'off-label' uses here. This med's good for some types of cirrhosis, pericarditis, and even coronary artery disease. Oh, it'll handle Paget's disease and pseudogout too, among others. Your doc even prescribes it to prevent post-pericardial syndrome.

Side Effects

Men, keep your guard up! You've got to be ready for some side effects when you're taking colchicine. Expect the most common ones. Yes, you're likely going to get some diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. There are less common side effects too, obviously. So obvious! These include blood in your pee, fever, chills, blood in your poo, and headaches. Oh yes, you didn't forget about the side effect when you're exercising: trouble breathing.

This med triggers skin side effects too. Men, watch for redness, hive, peeling, and a mild burning or crawling sensation. Rare ones you know about already? Yes, let's review: numb toes or fingers, sore throat, and white spots or sores in your mouth or on your lips. Of course, men, you'll have your phone ready to call your doc if you ever, ever see your lips, tongue, or palms turn gray or pale.

Precautions

Men, get your medical history ready. Your doc's got to know about all of it. Yes, everything. Everything! This med's not safe when you've got liver disease, kidney disease, or heart problems. Digestive issues often mean it's not right for you either. Men, you'll have to talk about the possible reduced fertility this med can trigger. Your doc has to help there! You'll also want to tell them all about any blood issues, like low platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. Yes, tell them when you've got bone marrow issues too. Men, this med attached to these problems means your infection risk and bruise risk go way up. Way up!

Be ready to avoid sick people when you're on this med. It'll often mean you've got lower platelets or white blood cells! You'll have to stop contact sports too. Sad. Men, your doc's going to make sure you get blood tests often. They need to keep an eye on you! Don't have any grapefruit either. Yes, you guessed it, that means grapefruit juice too. Men, grapefruit will make colchicine build in your body. It increases your side effects! And finally, take this med with some food to keep your stomach calm. You know that.

Med Interactions

This one interacts with 200 other meds. Yes, you saw that right. Men, colchicine has over 200 med interactions! Some examples? Watch out for azole antifungals, macrolide antibiotics, HIV drugs, diltiazem, and verapamil.

That's why you need your list of current meds. Your doc's going to check them all over to stop any of these interactions from happening to you. You'll need to have prescription meds, OTC drugs, and supplements on this list. You're ready for anything with this list! And yes, men, don't stop any meds or start new ones when you've got colchicine without talking to your doc first. When they need to, your doc's going to adjust your dose or switch your meds. They've got your back, soldier!