Trip Answers

Question answered:23/01/08 Warning! this question is over two years old.

We have located the SPC for colchicine tablets (0.5mg) produced by Boots [1], this gives the following indications:

 

“For the treatment of acute gout and for the prophylaxis of recurrent gout and to prevent acute attacks during the initial treatment with allopurinol or uricosuric drugs.”

 

A search of the TRIP Database for colchicine [2] (click on link in reference section to repeat the search) highlighted a number of uses colchicine has been used, including:

 

- Colchicine for alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver fibrosis and cirrhosis [3]
- Colchicine for primary biliary cirrhosis [4]
- First line treatment with colchicine reduced recurrent pericarditis [5]
- Colchicine as an oral corticosteroid sparing agent for asthma [6]
- Interventions for chronic palmoplantar pustulosis [7]

 

NOTE: In many of the above there was no evidence found supporting the use of colchicine (see URLs below).

 

Drugs.com (an American website) lists the following possible indications [8]:

 

“Indications and Usage
Treatment and relief of pain in attacks of acute gouty arthritis; regular prophylaxis between attacks and is often effective in aborting an attack when taken at the first sign of articular discomfort; colchicine IV is used when rapid response is desired or if GI adverse reactions interfere with oral use.

 

Unlabeled Uses
Familial Mediterranean fever; hepatic cirrhosis; primary biliary cirrhosis; treatment of Behcet disease; scleroderma; Sweet syndrome”

 

Both the SPC and Drugs.com site give dosing information, however, that appears linked to its use in gout, so this may not be appropriate. 

 

References

1) http://emc.medicines.org.uk/emc/assets/c/html/displaydoc.asp?documentid=12021
2) http://www.tripdatabase.com/SearchResults.html?ssid=&s=1&categoryid=&criteria=colchicine&sort=t
3) http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab002148.html
4) http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab004481.html
5) http://ebm.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/11/2/44
6) http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab003273.html
7) http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab001433.html
8) http://www.drugs.com/ppa/colchicine.html
 

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