What is colchicine (Colcrys) used for?

Colchicine is used to prevent and treat acute gout attacks. Acute gout is associated with severe pain in the joints. This occurs due to too much uric acid in the blood and the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints. 

Colchicine is also used to treat FMF (familial Mediterranean fever), an inherited condition associated with fever, swelling, and pain. 

It is worth noting that colchicine is not an analgesic medication (pain reliever) or an anti-inflammatory drug. It should not be used to treat symptoms that are not caused by familial Mediterranean fever or gout.

How does colchicine (Colcrys) work?

Colchicine works by disrupting the inflammatory response in the body. This helps to reduce the joint pain caused by uric acid crystals. It is not completely clear how colchicine helps in familial Mediterranean fever, but it is believed to be through anti-inflammatory and immune modulation pathways.

What are colchicine (Colcrys) doses?

The usual colchicine dose to prevent gout attacks is 0.6 mg once or twice a day in adults and teenagers 16 years of age or older. For treating gout flares, you take two doses - a first colchicine dose of 1.2 mg at the first sign of a flare, followed by 0.6 mg one hour later. Sometimes, doctors use intravenous colchicine to treat a gout flare.

 For acute treatment of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), the usual dose is 1.2 mg to 2.4 mg in adults and children 12 years of age or older, given as a single dose or two divided doses. The colchicine dose for FMF in children 6-12 years old is 0.9 mg to 1.8 mg and in children 4-6 years old, 0.3 mg to 1.8 mg.