A Remedy For

• Gout

Generic Colchicine is used to prevent or treat attacks of gout (also called gouty arthritis) and to prevent recurrent acute attacks
People with gout have too much uric acid in their blood and joints. An attack of gout occurs when uric acid causes inflammation (pain, redness, swelling, and heat) in a joint. Generic Colchicine does not cure gout or take the place of other medicines that lower the amount of uric acid in the body. It prevents or relieves gout attacks by reducing inflammation.

• Pseudogout
• Amyloidosis
• Scleroderma.
• Mediterranean fever

Generic Colchicine is used for Mediterranean fever, a painful infection usually contracted from unpasteurized milk products or direct contact with farm animals.

Generic Colchicine which can be extremely poisonous, is used only for these two conditions and primarily for gout.

Generic Colchicine may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Generic Colchicine is not an analgesic, though it relieves pain in acute attacks of gout. It is not a uricosuric agent and will not prevent progression of gout to chronic gouty arthritis. It does have a prophylactic, suppressive effect that helps to reduce the incidence of acute attacks and to relieve the residual pain and mild discomfort that patients with gout occasionally feel.
However the exact mechanism of action of Generic Colchicine in gout is not completely known, but it involves
(1) a reduction in lactic acid production by leukocytes, which results in a decrease in uric acid deposition, and

(2) a reduction in phagocytosis, with abatement of the inflammatory response.

For Acute Gouty Arthritis - The usual dose to relieve or abort an attack is 1 to 1.2 mg
The total amount of Generic Colchicine needed to control pain and inflammation during an attack usually ranges from 4 to 8 mg. Articular pain and swelling typically abate within 12 hours and are usually gone in 24 to 48 hours, An interval of three days between Generic Colchicine courses is advised in order to minimize the possibility of cumulative toxicity.

If corticotropin (ACTH) is administered for treatment of an attack of gouty arthritis, it is recommended that Generic Colchicine also be given in doses of at least 1 mg per day, and that the latter be continued for a few days after the hormone is withdrawn.

For Prophlaxis During Intercritical Periods- To reduce the frequency of paroxysms and lessen their severity, Generic Colchicine may be administered continuously. In patients who have less than one attack per year, the usual dose is 0.5 or 0.6 mg per day, three or four days a week. For cases involving more than one attack per year, the usual dose is 0.5 or 0.6 mg daily; severe cases may require two or three 0.5 mg granules or 0.6 mg tablets daily.

For Prophylaxis Against Attacks of Gout in Patients Undergoing Surgery - In patients with gout, an attack may be precipitated by even a minor surgical procedure. Generic Colchicine one 0.6 mg tablet
three times daily, should be administered for three days before and three days after surgery.

If you miss a dose of Generic Colchicine
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take only your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication.

Generic Colchicine Overdose

• Seek emergency medical attention.
• Symptoms of a Generic Colchicine overdose include nausea; vomiting; stomach pain; diarrhea; muscle weakness; burning in your throat, stomach, or skin; difficulty breathing; delirium; and seizures. An overdose of Generic Colchicine can result in death.

Generic Colchicine Storage Instructions: Store at room temperature, sealed, light- resistant container.
Store below 86° F (30°C )

Generic Colchicine Preparations:

Generic Colchicine Tablets: 0.5 mg, 0.6 mg. Generic Colchicine can also be given intravenously.

Drink plenty of fluids (at least 3 quarts) every day.
Generic Colchicine can be taken with milk. Avoid herbal teas that are promoted as beneficial for arthritis. Caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, chocolate) decreases the drugs effect. There is no interaction with alcohol. However, alcohol increases the risk of GI irritation and bleeding and also raises uric acid levels which could interfere with gout management.

An interaction generally means that one drug may increase or decrease the effect of another drug. Also, the more medications a person takes, the more likely there will be a drug interaction.

Interactions with this drug may occur with the following:

• Cyclosporine
• Erythromycin

Most important fact about Generic Colchicine

• Notify your doctor if you experience a skin rash; a sore throat; a fever; unusual bleeding, bruising, tiredness, or weakness; or numbness or tingling. These symptoms could be early signs of a serious side effect.
• If you are taking Generic Colchicine to treat an acute attack of gout, therapy should be stopped as soon as the pain is relieved, when the maximum amount of medicine has been taken, or at the first sign of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain.

Special precautions if you are pregnant or breast feeding
Generic Colchicine stops cell division, and can be harmful to a developing baby. Do not use the drug during pregnancy.
If possible, no drug, including alcohol, should be taken during pregnancy or lactation. The potential danger, of course, is an injury to the baby. However, some drugs are much safer than others in this regard. So, the FDA has a grading system for each drug which reflects what is known medically. It ranks drugs from A, where medical studies show no evidence for danger to the fetus or mother, to B, C, D and X, where the medical evidence indicates that the risk to the fetus outweighs any benefit to the mother. Generic Colchicine is ranked C. Always consult your physician before taking any drug during or when planning pregnancy.
Even Colchicum intake by the father can lead to abnormalities as the baby develops.

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• Rash
• Diarrhoea
• Decreased production of blood cells by the bone marrow (bone marrow suppression)
• Bleeding from the stomach
• Damage to the liver
• Damage to the kidneys
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Blood disorders
• Disorder of the muscles (myopathy)
• Loss of hair
• Pins and needles sensation in hands and feet (peripheral neuritis)
• Weakness
• Nerve irritation