Colchicine

From Journal of Medical Case Reports:

Abstract
Background: Colchicine is used in the treatment and prophylaxis of gout. It possesses a narrow
therapeutic window, frequently resulting in dose-limiting gastrointestinal side-effects such as
diarrhoea and emesis. As colchicine is a cellular anti-mitotic agent, the most serious effects include
myelosuppression, myoneuropathy and multiple organ failure. This occurs with intentional
overdose or with therapeutic dosing in patients with reduced clearance of colchicine due to pre-
existing renal or hepatic impairment. Acute pancreatitis has rarely been reported, and only in
association with severe colchicine overdose accompanied by multi-organ failure.
Case presentation: We report a case of acute pancreatitis without other organ toxicity related
to recent commencement of colchicine for acute gout, occurring in an elderly male with pre-
existing renal impairment.
Conclusion: 1) Colchicine should be used with care in elderly patients or patients with impaired
renal function.
2) Aside from myelosuppression, myoneuropathy and multiple organ failure, colchicine may now
be associated with acute pancreatitis even with therapeutic dosing; this has not previously being
reported.

More problems to add to Colchicine Side Effects.

At this rate, I’ll need 2 pages for side effects.

Here we go again with the jargon:
emesis = vomiting
myelosuppression = decrease in blood cell production
myoneuropathy = disorder of muscle/nerve junction – muscle weakness or aching possibly with numbness.