Precautions

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

If you must take colchicine for a long time (preventive treatment), it is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Do not use this medicine together with atazanavir (Reyataz®), clarithromycin (Klaricid®), cyclosporine (Gengraf®), darunavir/ritonavir (Prezista®), indinavir (Crivixan®), itraconazole (Sporanox®), ketoconazole (Nizoral), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra®), nefazodone (Serzone®), nelfinavir (Viracept®), ranolazine (Ranexa®), ritonavir (Norvir®), saquinavir (Invirase®), telithromycin (Ketek®), tipranavir/ritonavir (Aptivus®).

Stomach problems may be more likely to occur if you drink large amounts of alcoholic beverages while using colchicine. Also, drinking too much alcohol may increase the amount of uric acid in your blood. This may lessen the effects of colchicine when it is used to prevent gout attacks. Therefore, people who use colchicine should be careful to limit the amount of alcohol they drink.

For patients taking small amounts of colchicine regularly (preventive treatment):

  • Attacks of gout or other problems caused by inflammation may continue to occur during treatment. However, the attacks or other problems should occur less often, and they should not be as severe as they were before you started taking colchicine. Even if you think the colchicine is not working, do not stop taking it and do not increase the dose. Check with your doctor instead.

Colchicine can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection. It can also lower the number of platelets, which are necessary for proper blood clotting. If this occurs, there are certain precautions you can take, especially when your blood count is low, to reduce the risk of infection or bleeding:

  • If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you are getting an infection or if you get a fever or chills, cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination.
  • Check with your doctor immediately if you notice any unusual bleeding or bruising, black, tarry stools, blood in the urine or stools, or pinpoint red spots on your skin.
  • Be careful when using a regular toothbrush, dental floss, or toothpick. Your medical doctor, dentist, or nurse may recommend other ways to clean your teeth and gums. Check with your medical doctor before having any dental work done.
  • Do not touch your eyes or the inside of your nose unless you have just washed your hands and have not touched anything else in the meantime.
  • Be careful not to cut yourself when you are using sharp objects such as a safety razor or fingernail or toenail cutters.
  • Avoid contact sports or other situations where bruising or injury could occur.

If your doctor tells you to increase the amount of medicine you are taking or if you are just starting this medicine, make sure you tell the doctor right away if you get muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness.

If you plan to have children, talk with your doctor before using this medicine. Some men using this medicine have become temporarily infertile (unable to have children).

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

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Portions of this document last updated: June 01, 2024

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