Colchicine is a drug that was created to originally to treat and prevent gout. It works as an anti-inflammatory, and unlike other gout medicines that lower uric acid (the cause of gout); Colchicine instead treats the pain of a gout attack by reducing the inflammation.
There have been several studies conducted into the efficacy of Colcochine for the treatment of PBC and it appears that some denote it as being of some benefit while others claim uncertainty. Apparently like Ursodeoxcycholic Acid, it might just depend on the individual. Until a definitive medication can be found for PBC, it appears that sufferers will just have to depend on trial and error medications.
There are several side effects to Colchicine that you need to be aware of:
Most Common
Stomach pain, diarrhea and of course the good old nausea and vomiting.
Less Common
Hair loss (can become permanent) and loss of appetite.
Rare
Hives, some muscle weakness, numbness in the extremities, skin peeling; swelling/tenderness and sometimes the skin may feel as if it is burning. This medicine can also change stool color, may cause ulcers, fever, difficulty breathing, headaches and in some cases exacerbate fatigue.
Additional Precautions
It is important that Colchicine be taken as your doctor instructs as this medicine can accumulate and cause an overdose. Read about Colchicine and overdose from the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms of overdose are nausea; vomiting; stomach pain; burning pain in throat, stomach, and skin; and muscle weakness. In some cases convulsions have also been reported.
It is also important that your doctor regularly takes your blood labs, particularly white blood cell count, platelet count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin and hematocrit. Colchicine can cause a change in these that might lead to bleeding and bruising. This article by the New England Journal of Medicine in to Colchicine therapy discusses controlled trials of the drug in those with PBC. They conclude that the benefits of Colchicine are so small that it is rarely recommended.
A final note
It is important that you take a proactive role in your own treatment of PBC. Until we have definitive studies into this disease, there are no guarantees with regards to the medications currently prescribed to treat it. Always research every medication that your doctor wishes to prescribe for you and if you have any unpleasant side effects, reserve the right to desist medication, particularly if that medication isn't contributing towards better health or sanity.
Go To Page: 1 2
