DEAR DR. GOTT: I was in my doctor’s office last week for new prescriptions, and he indicated that colchicine is being pulled from the market. I take it for gout and don’t know what I can use in its place. Do you have any suggestions?
DEAR READER: As you are aware, oral colchicine is prescribed either to prevent attacks of gout brought on by the presence of too much uric acid in the blood or to treat symptoms once they occur. The injectable form has been on the market since the 1950s and has been used for acute gout attacks and as an alternative for the treatment of back pain.
The medication is relatively side-effect-free, but some people may suffer from headache, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, flushing and more. Severe allergic reactions can include chest tightness, swelling of the tongue and a great deal more.
Your physician was not referring to your oral medication but to the injectable form used for intravenous administration. The Food and Drug Administration has stated the toxicity risks associated with injectable forms outweigh any potential benefit. This is particularly true when the drug is compounded because of potential concentration errors. The FDA has stated that a number of deaths have been well documented and attributed to improperly compounded injectable colchicine products. Abdominal pain, seizures, organ failure and lack of blood-cell production have been reported with improper dosing.
To provide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Consumer Tips on Medicine.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order payable to Newsletter and mailed to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDrGottMD.com.
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