What is colchicine used for?

What is colchicine used for?

Colchicine is a medicine for treating inflammation and pain. It can be used to: treat flare-ups (attacks) of gout. prevent increased flare-ups of gout when you first start on a medicine like allopurinol – taken to manage your condition long term.

What is colchicine used for in Covid?

When colchicine is administered early in the course of COVID-19, these mechanisms may mitigate or prevent inflammation-associated manifestations of the disease.

Is colchicine an anti-inflammatory?

Abstract. Colchicine is an ancient medication that is currently approved for the treatment of gout and FMF. However, colchicine has a wide range of anti-inflammatory activities, and studies indicate that it may be beneficial in a variety of other conditions.

What are the side effects of colchicine?

Side Effects Diarrhea, nausea, cramping, abdominal pain, and vomiting may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

How long is it safe to take colchicine?

After taking colchicine tablets to treat an attack, do not take any more colchicine for at least 3 days. Also, after receiving the medicine by injection for an attack, do not take any more colchicine (tablets or injection) for at least 7 days.

Should you stay off your feet with gout?

“We don’t discourage people with gout from running or other exercise,” Dr. Fields says. “But if someone has a gout flare in the foot, ankle, or knee, we suggest they stay off the foot as much as possible, since further trauma to a joint with a gout flare can prolong the flare.”

Are there any off label uses for colchicine?

Summary. Colchicine (Colcrys) is a drug prescribed for the treatment of acute gout and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Off-label treatment uses include pseudogout, amyloidosis, and scleroderma.

How long does it take colchicine to work in the body?

With an oral dose of 0.6 mg, peak blood levels occur within one to two hours. For treating gout, the initial effects of colchicine occur in a window of 12 to 24 hours, with a peak within 48 to 72 hours. It has a narrow therapeutic window, requiring monitoring of the subject for potential toxicity.

When was colchicine first used in the UK?

Colchicine. Colchicine, in the form of the autumn crocus, has been used as early as 1500 BC to treat joint swelling. It was approved for medical use in the United States in 1961. It is avaliable as a generic medication in the United Kingdom where a month supply costs the NHS about 7.27 £ as of 2019.

What kind of plant does colchicine come from?

The plant source of colchicine, the autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), was described for treatment of rheumatism and swelling in the Ebers Papyrus (circa 1500 BC), an Egyptian medical papyrus. It is a toxic alkaloid and secondary metabolite.