The mystery of colchicine
Being one of the oldest drugs in the world, colchicine gets a badrap with many health care professionals- one would suppose due tothe potential toxicity and sometimes nasty side effects.
I take colchicine, and to be honest it’s the only drug that reliablyworks to control my gout (I have yet to follow through withallopurinol therapy, but plan to). Being as old as colchicine is,its actions do not seem to be understood. It is defined as an “anti-gout” medication, but there is nothing on how it works. It DOESwork, at least in my case. It is also defined as an anti-inflammatory but I think that is crap- the inflammation reductionoccurs as a secondary action of the gout subsiding. Can anyone shedany light on the true action of colchicine?
In my world, the sometimes horrific gastric side effects caused bycolchicine are an acceptable price to pay vs. the pain of a severegout episode.
Terrance Molock on June 26th, 2007
Colchicine action not known.It EITHER kills white bloodcells..AND indeed it can..identical symptoms between radiationpoisoning and colchicine o/d..OR it imobilizes them..
It is DEFINITELY involved in some kind of NASTY cellmutation..whatever it does do..it somehow stops/turns off..WHATEVERthe white blood cell attack on the gout crystals.This is the crux ofthe gout attack..white blood cells recognizing PART of thecrystal..some say the part where the protein coating got stripped..ASHOSTILE..foreign..
The white blood cells attack and attempt to destroy thecrystal..a phagocyte is formed of the crystals,white bloodcells..during the forming it grows..it is this pressure that eithercauses it to burst..forcing the jagged edge of the crystal into thejoint,,AND/OR the pressure from more phagocytes,white bloodcells..FORCING this into the joint..AND/OR the restricted blood flowthrough the area..this restricted circulation can cause more crystalformation as the solution cools at the bodies extremities
Is colchicine an anti-imflammatory?..Hmmm..I’ld have to sayyes..as there is inflammation BEFORE the colchicine..AND it is GONEafter..
Oh yeah..this should clear it up..some researchers say the attackis actually caused..when the phagocyte bursts..THEN the white bloodcells get into some highly complex chemical reaction with the fluidin the phagocyte..something to do with cell death/nuclear medicine..
OK..’enuff for me..
Russel Stevinson on June 27th, 2007
I took Rea (my hubby) to the emergency room last August. I felt hewas ODing on colchicine. It was the hottest it had been all year andabout 100 degrees in our house. He was shivering uncontrollably underour feather comforter, his voice sounded weird and he washalluciating. We sat in the ER for 5 hours while they treated themore “valid” patients. They gave him advil. Wow, he has gout…lethim wait. The Dr said it was not toxic, he just had a virus. Bastard!We found out later it is toxic and can even cause death. It did workfor his attacks, but can be dangerous. We have since found the cherryjuice and his attacks vanished. He drinks bud light alot and doesn’tever have a problem. I hope you can find the one thing that works foryou.
Terrance Molock on June 28th, 2007
Colchicine overdose is EXTREMELY rare..there are indeed tests forit.It is actually pretty hard to reach the overdose stage..even thetoxic stage..I believe that the lowest level that can actuallyharm..or cause death is 7mg..this is 10 tablets.The accepted maximumdoses is 3 tablets..per day..for 3 days.This CAN be combined with themaximum dose of indomethicine(idocin).Few medical informationsuggests even going to 3 mg /day..5 pills. The symptoms you describe are NOT those VERY typical ofcolchicine..the classic first signs are stomach problems..TO PUT ITPOLITELY!
I have had the symptoms you describe..borderring on rhuematicfever..damn near put me in the box.I DUG into the causes of myfever/SHAKING..asking/emailing READING,READING, in my STUDYING! ofgout..I see a rhuematologist,internist,dermatologist,chiropodist anda g/p..from ALL the information I could garner..these symptoms arecaused by gout..the more severe the shiverring/fever etc.,the moreserious the problem.This often precedes a massive attack.The attackMAY occur at a later date.In my case it was a week.The reasons forthis fever/shiverring are not known..BUT this is widely known toprecede gout attacks in gout sufferers..the worse thefever/shiverring ..the worse the attack to come
Columbus Luthe on June 30th, 2007
Gout is a VERY active drug, and it doesn’t even effect me the same way twice.  Allergic reactions are common (though seem to be downplayed for some reason). You can die just from the dehydration caused by the diarrhea- people around you can be killed by your gas (joke- they just wish they were dead). When i only took it occasionally- the side effects were horrible (I am 38 years old and actually wore “Depends”). Since I have been taking a “maintainence dose” (one pill in the AM, one in the PM) I almost do not notice it at all, except for somewhat loose bowels (sorry- but we ARE talking colchicine here). If your body chemistry will not tolerate something, then the Pharmacopeia is out the window. There is no safe dose of any drug you are allergic to or simply cannot tolerate. Have a lawyer contact the medical center, and have the name of the attending physician. At best, the doc will learn a lesson- at worst your bill will be dropped from the system. I do not tolerate being treated “second class” by any ER because I have gout, nor do I tolerate BS diagnoses or treatment. You spank them, and spank them hard in the wallet.