You can use Colchicine tablets to help avoid or treat gout attacks. Symptoms of gout usually come on fast and can affect one or more of your joints, but the big toe is the most common one to be affected. Gout is caused when there’s too much uric acid in your blood, which creates crystals in your joints and these cause pain and swelling. Colchicine is a medication that can help improve joint pain caused by your gout.

Gout happens when there’s a build-up of uric acid in the blood. If your levels of uric acid get too high, tiny grit-like crystals can collect in your joints. The crystals hurt the tissues of the joint, causing inflammation, swelling, and pain.

Colchicine works by blocking your white blood cells from getting to the joints where you’re having gout symptoms. This stops your joints from swelling up too much and helps make your gout less painful.

How to take a dose of Colchicine – Colchicine are oral tablets which means that you swallow them whole with a glass of water. You can take your Colchicine tablets with or without food, it doesn’t matter either way.

How to take Colchicine for a gout attack – for gout attacks, you’d normally take one tablet 2 to 4 times a day until your symptoms are all gone. You shouldn’t take more than 12 tablets for 1 gout attack. So, if you take 12 tablets and your symptoms are still there, you need to stop taking Colchicine and see a doctor.

Things to be aware of when you’re using Colchicine:

• Your dose might be different if you have any liver or kidney problems that you’re taking medication for

• If you have any liver or kidney problems, or if you’re older, you might need to space out your doses a bit more to avoid side effects

• Setting an alarm or using a pill reminder can help you remember to take your medication on time

Dose for a gout attack – the normal dose for treating a gout attack would be 500 micrograms of Colchicine 2 to 4 times a day. This goes up to a maximum of 6mg (12 x 500 micrograms tablets) during one outbreak. The dose might be lower if you’re older and you have liver or kidney problems.

Dose for avoiding gout attacks – the normal dose for helping you avoid gout attacks is 500 micrograms 1 or 2 times a day. This dose might be lower if you have any liver or kidney problems.

What if you want a higher dose? – if you’re taking the maximum dose of Colchicine that’s safe for you and it’s still not working, get in touch with a doctor. They will be able to talk you through your problems and maybe suggest some alternatives. Don’t ever take more Colchicine than you’re supposed to.

What if you’re worried you’re taking too much? – if you’re not sure you should be taking as much Colchicine as you are, or you’re worried about side effects, talk to a doctor. They can check if you need a lower dose or if another treatment might be better for you.

Ordering online – Colchicine is a prescription-only medication, so you can’t get it over-the-counter. But, if you’ve been prescribed Colchicine before, you can reorder it online from Superdrug Online Doctor. The steps are:

1. Fill in a quick online questionnaire – this covers your health, lifestyle, and any other medication you’re taking

2. Login or create an account

3. Place your order and make payment

4. A doctor will check your questionnaire and your order

5. If the doctor agrees your order is right for you, it can be posted to you preferred address, or to a Superdrug Store for collection

6. If you order isn’t right for you, we’ll refund you and a doctor will give you advice on next steps

Once you start taking Colchicine, your symptoms should start getting better after 12 hours and they can often go away completely in the first 24 hours.

If your symptoms don’t go away after 12 doses of Colchicine then you should speak to a doctor.

You can drink and take Colchicine, but drinking too much alcohol can actually increase the amount of uric acid in your blood. This means it makes gout more likely and could make Colchicine less effective if you’re trying to avoid gout attacks.

Side effects can happen with any medication. Not everyone gets side effects when they take Colchicine, but some people can get them. Some of the most common side effects of Colchicine are:

• Diarrhoea

• Nausea

• Cramping

• Stomach pain

• Vomiting

Some more rare or serious side effects are:

• Unusual bleeding, easy bruising

• Severe diarrhoea or vomiting

• Muscle weakness or pain

• Numbness, tingling in your fingers, toes

• Pale or grey colour of the lips, tongue, hands

• Signs of infection (e.g. fever)

• Unusual weakness/tiredness

• Fast heartbeat

• Signs of kidney problems (e.g. change in the amount of urine)

• Signs of an allergic reaction (e.g. rash, swelling, dizziness, trouble breathing)

If you get any of these rare or serious side effects, you should stop taking Colchicine and see a doctor straight away. This isn’t a complete list of all the possible side effects, so if you think you’re having others, then you should also talk to a doctor.