Colchicine is a anti-inflammatory medication that is based on the extract from meadow saffron, or Colchicum autumnale. This substance is highly toxic; however, it has a strong anti-inflammatory effect and does not contain any steroids, so it's called a NSAID – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The healing effect of Colchicum on gout is known for thousands of years: first mentioned in 1500 BC, it was used to treat acute gout attacks for a much longer period of time, for sure. Benjamin Franklin, who has suffered from gout, mentioned the extract in his letters.
Mechanism of action of Colchicine is based on its toxic effect, suppressing neutrophil activity and motility, which results in net anti-inflammatory effect. It also has other interesting effects, though irrelevant to this guide's topic. In 2007 the brand Colchicine, named Colcrys, was approved by FDA for treatment of acute gout flares, familial Mediterranean fever, and few other uses. It is still the most popular NSAID for treatment of gout flares, for patients who cannot take steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, because of its mild side effects, primarily localized in stomach discomfort.
In the United States today, Colchicine patent is given by FDA to URL Pharma, which has immediately raised the cost of Colchicine medication from 0.09 USD to 4.85 USD per tablet. The patent expires in February, 2029, and until that time, it's hard to expect the price of Colchicine 0.6 mg, 0.5 mg or any other dosage forms to return back to reasonable. The only reason for most patients who suffer from gout flares is to buy generic Colchicine without prescription, which is not always safe because the medication is highly toxic if misused.
The dosage of Colchicine should be adjusted individually, by a healthcare specialist. We encourage you to consult your doctor before you start taking the medication, and even before you buy generic Colchicine without prescription. However, there are maximum doses you should never exceed: there is no further improvement in its effect, but risks of side effects grow significantly higher.
For acute gout flares, take up to 1.2 mg of Colchicine (2 x 0.6 mg tablets) as soon as you can. Within one hour after the initial intake, you may add up to 0.6 mg of Colchicine additionally. This is the maximum daily dose for acute gout attacks. If you want to use the drug for prophylaxis, your Colchicine dosage should be close to one 0.6 mg tablet of Colchicine once, or maximum twice, daily.
Geriatric and pediatric doses are substantially reduced. Please, consult your doctor to set the proper dose for your conditions and to adjust it as the therapy continues.
Colchicine is highly toxic. Overdose of this medication can result in multiple-system organ failure. Do not let the medication get into your eyes, do not inhale it, try to make minimum contact with the medication. If you experience fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or other indications of an overdose, seek medical help immediately. Otherwise, Colchicine can cause hypovolemic shock and even death.
Long-term intake of Colchicine can result in kidney, nerve and bone marrow degradation. Anemia, peripheral neuropathy, myopathy, rash, kidney damage, anuria and many other problems may come along.
Common side effects of Colchicine include gastrointestinal discomfort and possible neutropenia, particularly peripheral neuropathy, because of the accumulating damage to the peripheral nervous system. You can prevent most of the side effects of the drug if you're taking it according to the prescription, never overdose the medication, and regularly visit your doctor for a consultation and advice.
Not in the United States. Colchicine for sale is only available if you have a prescription from your doctor. Due to the toxicity of the drug and its dangerous side effects, the FDA has set its status to prescription-only medicine, which means that you cannot buy Colchicine over the counter. In any case, you should consult your doctor before you try to use the medication, and it would get you the prescription needed. However, it's not the the only problem with the medication. Since the URL Pharma (now a Japanese company) has received patent rights from FDA to market the drug in the United States, the cost of Colchicine has significantly increased. Now a minimum pack of 60 pills will cost you approximately $300, and that would be $15 per gout flare.
However, you can save a significant amount of money, if you know where to buy Colchicine tablets. If you want to get the best price, which if fair, you can buy Colchicine online without prescription in the USA, Australia, the UK, Canada, Europe, Singapore. These countries are in the shipping list of any non prescription Colchicine online pharmacy. It means that as soon as you order Colchicine online with no prescription (which is approximately $47 instead of $300 for a 60-tablets blister), you will receive it overnight, or a bit later, depending on the terms and conditions of the particular online pharmacy and your state of residence. As you see, the only way to purchase cheap Colchicine without prescription is to look for it online, in specialized drugstores, called online pharmacies.