Medicine for Gout Series, Entry 2: Colchicine

Hello again! Another week, another post about the dreaded gout.  Hope all reading are getting over your attack rather than getting one, but if you're not today's choice for our medicine treatment is one that has been with us for a long time:  Colchicine.

A Longtime Medical Companion...

In the history of gout, colchicine has been a consistent help to gout sufferers against the bane of their existence since early Egyptian days.  As wikipedia states:

 The plant source of colchicine, the autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), was described for treatment of rheumatism and swelling in the Ebers Papyrus (ca. 1500 B.C.), an Egyptian medical papyrus.

So with over 3500 years of history treating gout, I feel it's pretty remarkable that mankind still uses this remedy for gout attacks.  It's no wonder though, if you've never used it you must know: for most people this stuff works.

How it Works:

From a well-respected English medical website:

    Colchicine works by reducing the number of white blood cells which travel into the inflamed areas. This helps break the cycle of inflammation and reduces swelling and pain. It will have been prescribed if you are unable to take anti-inflammatory painkillers, which are the medicines most often used to ease a gout attack.

 

Many people will use Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) to stop their gout pain, but as you can see from wikipedia, the side-effects of these medicines can be rough.   Colchicine is an FDA-approved medicine that is known for particularly working to curb gout (among a few other things).

Side-Effects:

 Through as our useful source, wikipedia, we can find a list of colchicine's side-effects:

Adverse effects[edit]Side-effects include gastrointestinal upset and neutropenia. High doses can also damage bone marrow and lead to anemia and also cause hair loss. All of these side-effects can result from hyperinhibition of mitosis.^{[citation needed]}A main side-effect associated with all mitotic inhibitors is peripheral neuropathy, which is a numbness or tingling in the hands and feet due to peripheral nerve damage that can become so severe that reduction in dosage or complete cessation of the drug may be required. Microtubules are involved in vesicular transport. Peripheral nerves are among the longest in the body. Brownian motion is not significant enough in these peripheral nerves to allow vesicles to reach their destination. Thus, they are susceptible to microtubule toxins.^{[citation needed]} 

Toxicity[edit]Colchicine poisoning has been compared to arsenic poisoning. Symptoms start 2 to 5 hours after the toxic dose has been ingested and include burning in the mouth and throat, fever, vomiting,diarrhea, abdominal pain, and kidney failure. These symptoms may set in as many as 24 hours after exposure. Onset of multiple-system organ failure may occur within 24 to 72 hours. This includes hypovolemic shock due to extreme vascular damage and fluid loss through the GI tract, which may cause death. In addition, sufferers may experience kidney damage that causes low urine output and bloody urine, low white blood cell counts (persisting for several days), anemia; muscular weakness, and respiratory failure. Recovery may begin within six to eight days.

I know many people reading this blog probably don't have time to read all of that, so I'll summarize for you. Colchicine is poisonous to the human body!  You don't want to take too much of this stuff, otherwise you'll be giving yourself something akin to arsenic poisoning.  It will kill you if your not careful, so you need to-

Be Careful about Dosing!

If and when prescribed Colchicine you should pay attention to your doctor and your box about the dosing.  You won't want to take too much of Colchicine and cause stomach problems or worse.

There are a few sources out there that will spell it out better than I can, but this Australian website does a good job of showing that low dosing will help you more and cause fewer adverse effects. Just remember what the end of all my posts say: I'm not a medical professional so you need to communicate with a medical professional about these things.

My View on Colchicine:

I have taken Colchicine before, especially in the first few months of taking Allopurinol.  It did a great job of keeping me from too much pain.  I am pretty sure there was one time in the first few months that I went harder on it than I should have and I got a stomach ache and had a bad hour with a couple of messy trips to the toilet.  You're better off pacing yourself and remember that water is also your friend.  

Have you taken Colchicine for your gout?  What were your experiences?  Leave me a comment!

Other Posts in the Medicine for Gout Series:
Allopurinol

**This website is for informative purposes and should not be substituted as advice of a medical professional.  If you believe you have gout, I STRONGLY recommend scheduling an appointment with a medical professional and getting the problem checked out.