Any use outside the normal indications and prescription, needs to be done very cautiously.
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Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop taking colchicine and call your doctor immediately:
- muscle pain or weakness
- numbness or tingling in the fingers or toes
- unusual bruising or bleeding
- sore throat, fever, chills, and other signs of infection
- weakness or tiredness
- paleness or grayness of the lips, tongue, or palms
Colchicine may decrease fertility in men. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking colchicine.
Colchicine
Last Updated: December 16, 2021
Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory drug that is used to treat a variety of conditions, including gout, recurrent pericarditis, and familial Mediterranean fever.1 Recently, the drug has been shown to potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in those with coronary artery disease.2 Colchicine has several potential mechanisms of action, including reducing the chemotaxis of neutrophils, inhibiting inflammasome signaling, and decreasing the production of cytokines, such as interleukin-1 beta.3 When colchicine is administered early in the course of COVID-19, these mechanisms could potentially mitigate or prevent inflammation-associated manifestations of the disease. These anti-inflammatory properties coupled with the drug’s limited immunosuppressive potential, favorable safety profile, and widespread availability have prompted investigation of colchicine for the treatment of COVID-19.
Recommendations
- The COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel (the Panel) recommends against the use of colchicine for the treatment of nonhospitalized patients with COVID-19, except in a clinical trial (BIIa).
- The Panel recommends against the use of colchicine for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (AI).