Colchicine is used for the treatment and prevention of gout flares, which is a condition that can cause pain, redness, and swelling in the joints (big toe, ankle, or knee). Gout is caused by too much uric acid when the body breaks down chemicals called purines. Hence, excess uric acid can build up in the joints and cause gout pain. In addition, gout can be affected by conditions, such as diabetes, poor kidney function, obesity, cancer, medications, or eating purine-rich food (alcohol, seafood, and other foods).
Common side effects include:
Some rare but serious side effects of this medicine include:
The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.
Inform your healthcare professional if:
Avoid taking grapefruit or grapefruit juice while you are taking this medication as grapefruit might cause the amount of colchicine to increase in your body. Large amounts of colchicine can cause serious side effects.
Certain cholesterol-lowering, antibiotics, and hepatitis medications may cause the amount of colchicine to increase in your body that results in an increased risk of side effects.
Check with your healthcare professionals if you are taking any of the above medications.
If you are told by your doctor to take colchicine regularly and if you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Then take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses to make up for the missed dose.
Pack this medication into a black trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing into the rubbish chute or bin.
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