🕖Latest Change: Jun 25, 2023 – ⎙Published: Sep 4, 2010.
-
Posts
-
Hello guys, Here's the deal I've been taking one 0.6mgs Colchicine tablet twice a day since June 16th or just about 12 weeks. I've been on 200mgs of Allop since the 22nd of May and my feet are feeling a lot better they haven't felt this good in a year. but they have really just gotten a lot better in the last week or so. My Rhumatologist told me I'd be on Colchicine for 8 to 10 months as a preventive from attacks. I'd like to get off them sooner but I don't wont to risk another attack. Thoughts anyone ? Thanks. LIMPY
If you'd like to get off colchicine earlier, why not up your allopurinol to 300 mg. and stop the colchicine in a couple weeks. I doubt that a single colchicine a day is doing you much good anyway.
Hi Limpy. My thoughts are that I'm glad you asked this question. My first attack was February 2010. I've been on 100mg Allo since then, and UA varies between 4.9 and 5.1. I'm on and off Colc, mostly off. But I have always wondered if I should stay on it. My toes ache most days, but bearable. This week my ankles started hurting and my left ankle swells by the end of the day, most days. I started back on Colc last week, 0.6 twice/day and was thinking I'd ask this same question. Thanks for whatever others may suggest.
limpy said:
…My Rhumatologist told me I'd be on Colchicine for 8 to 10 months as a preventive from attacks. I'd like to get off them sooner but I don't wont to risk another attack. Thoughts anyone ? Thanks. LIMPY
Limpy, I dare to disagree with your rheumatologist. Colchicine does neither start nor stop a gout attack. Remember: A gout attack is the result of too much UA in your blood/system. Colchicine does NOT affect your UA level in your body. What does is ALLOPURINOL or ULORIC. So go with Zip's advice and up your Allo dosis to 300 mg.
All Colchicine does is affect (reduce) your inflammation, the result of your gout attack. The chemistry and the consequential results of Allopurinol/Uloric, Colchicine, and Naproxen/Aleve (the painkillers) are entirely different for each of the three groups. (Zip can give you the details, if he so desires. I am too lazy to dig it up. Or maybe YOU can dig it up yourself. Just Google the individual meds.)
zip2play said:
If you'd like to get off colchicine earlier, why not up your allopurinol to 300 mg. and stop the colchicine in a couple weeks. I doubt that a single colchicine a day is doing you much good anyway.
Hi Zip, I’ve talked to 2 Rheumatologists and my family doctor about upping my dose of Allopurinol. They all said my numbers are right where they want them to be. So they shot down the thought of going to 300mgs. I will say that as far as pain my feet they haven't felt this good in a year. Also I'm taking 1 .6 colchicine twice a day. But the way things are going I'm thinking I might not need it anymore. I just don't want to bring on another attack by stopping the Colchicine. Thanks. LIMPY
limpy said:
…They all said my numbers are right where they want them to be. … I just don't want to bring on another attack by stopping the Colchicine. Thanks. LIMPY
Limpy, what ARE your numbers? And what do THEY consider THE RIGHT NUMBERS?
Since you did not take me up on my suggestion, so here it is:
What Causes Gout?
A number of risk factors are related to the development of hyperuricemia and gout:
Genetics may play a role in determining a person's risk, since up to 18% of people with gout have a family history of the disease.
Gender and age are related to the risk of developing gout; it is more common in men than in women and more common in adults than in children.
Being overweight increases the risk of gout because there is more tissue available for turnover or breakdown, which leads to excess uric acid production.
Drinking too much alcohol can lead to hyperuricemia because it interferes with the removal of uric acid from the body.
Eating too many foods rich in purines can cause or aggravate gout in some people.
An enzyme defect that interferes with the way the body breaks down purines causes gout in a small number of people, many of whom have a family history of gout.
Exposure to lead in the environment can cause gout.
Some people who take certain medicines or have certain conditions are at risk for having high levels of uric acid in their body fluids.Gout Risk Factors
Some Medicines
The following types of drugs can lead to hyperuricemia because they reduce the body's ability to remove uric acid:
diuretics (taken to eliminate excess fluid from the body)
salicylates (or anti-inflammatory drugs made from salicylic acid, such as aspirin)
the vitamin niacin (also called nicotinic acid)
cyclosporine (an immunosuppressant)
Levodopa (used to treat Parkinson's disease)As I said before, Colchicine , or lack thereof, does NOT cause or prevent an attack. It deals with the consequences: Inflammation
“…..salicylates (or anti-inflammatory drugs made from salicylic acid, such as aspirin)”
“….Eating too many foods rich in purines can cause or aggravate gout in some people.”
Hans,
Reflecting on how my gout started, I think my gout could have been caused by the low dosage of aspirin which I had been taking on and off in the past. Now I am not taking aspirin anymore because I have suddenly developed allergic reactions to it. I am not taking any of the other medicines you mentioned.
With regards to food, I am still taking chicken and fish almost everyday and am not getting any gout twinges at all. I do notice, however, that it was during the X'mas periods that I used to have gout flare-ups. It was usually during that period that I enjoyed my favourite foods – bacon, ham, turkey and lots of other purin rich food.
I shall be watching myself the next X'mas and see if it would happen again, because I simply would not be able to resist those delicious and mouth watering meat dishes.
metamorph said:
Post edited 3:48 am – September 6, 2010 by metamorph
…
Reflecting on how my gout started, I think my gout could have been caused by the low dosage of aspirin which I had been taking on and off in the past. …
With regards to food, I am still taking chicken and fish almost everyday and am not getting any gout twinges at all. …
“low dosage of aspirin“, Metamorph, here is one for you (I have mentioned it somewhere in the past): Way back (12-13 years ago), my GP, a professor of medicine at UNM, put me on baby aspirin and recommended Atkins diet even though he knew that I had gout (by then 12-13 years.) I, also, took myself off aspirin after I found out that aspirin and gout were sleeping together.
I, too, am still eating chicken and fish, but only once a week and relative (for me) small portions and I allow myself a glass or two of wine with dinner (no beer or hard stuff.) So far so good. Had a couple of minor twinges since I started Uloric, however, I am not too concerned. What bothers me, though, is the fact that my doctor won't increase the dosis to 80mg. I have a tremendous PR job ahead of me when I see her, on Sept.15. And PR was never my strong side.
limpy said:
Hans,the last acid numbers were 5.5 and 5.7 LIMPY
Thanks, Limpy.
I went back to your original comment, 0/4/10, and I must say that it is irresponsible (in MY book) for your doctor to put you on Colchicine for 8-10 months when your SUA level is in the mid 5 and you are not having an attack with ensuing inflammation and pain. Apparently you are not dealing with a doctor=physician=healer, you are dealing with a medicine industry pill pusher. I betcha every penny I got that he would not do it to himself.
Bear in mind that Allopurinol and Uloric (to be taken for life) are the ONLY meds which deal with the CAUSE of gout. Colchicine and the thousands of other meds generally deal with the SYMPTONS of a disease/condition which is a beloved feature(or requirement) for or of being pill pusher. Just consider the FACT that Allopurinol was the ONLY med for combating gout for almost forty years before Uloric appeared, and that even came from Japan, not the medical pill producing/pushing industry in these United States of America.
Goutgal said:
Hi Limpy. My thoughts are that I'm glad you asked this question. My first attack was February 2010. I've been on 100mg Allo since then, and UA varies between 4.9 and 5.1. I'm on and off Colc, mostly off. But I have always wondered if I should stay on it. My toes ache most days, but bearable. This week my ankles started hurting and my left ankle swells by the end of the day, most days. I started back on Colc last week, 0.6 twice/day and was thinking I'd ask this same question. Thanks for whatever others may suggest.
Goutgal, good for you to stay off Colchicine when you don't really need it. Remember, our body/metabolism has plenty to on its “hands” to fight against or off all the other CHEMICALS which are shoved down our throats in form of MEDICINES, VITAMINS, FOOD, AND DRINKS.
My take on your aches, pains, swellings is that with your relative low SUA level, your body is getting rid off the extra UA, and as we now know, it is generally accompanied by minor (in some cases major) gout attacks and/or twinges.
The way I like to use colchicine is in doses of 2 or 4 for one day only in the rare event that I get a minor flare. For a major attack I recommend much more for a day.
I am not fond of daily extremey low dose propgylaxis.
Aspirin? Yep low dose asipirin (under 6 a day!!!!!!!!!!!!) retains uric acid. (Super high dosing dumps it like crazy.) BUT for those on a single pill a day to prevent heart attacks (whether 80, 160, or 325 mg.) the effect on gout is slight BUT the 30% decrease in heart attacks makes it a MUST for men over 40. Remember, a heart attack kills HALF of us…so avoiding that scourge is of PRIME importance. I take either 325mg. or 650mg depending on the position of Venus in the sky (or is it sunspots
) because I have heart disease. I assume my allopurinol covers the issue for me.But allopurinol or no, heart disease or no, I would continue my daily aspirin come Hell or high water
zip2play said:
… propgylaxis. …
Zip, to keep me on the straight and narrow, you got to narrowly straighten me out:
Are you talking about a proper Galaxy or taxis running on propylene glycol ???
I just take colchicine when I 'feel' flares-twinges. I don't need to take it everyday. Also at Target pharmacy it was 8 dollars for 60 pills since May, then in August it went to 28 dollars. An increase of 350% that is just rediculous. So the less I take the better.
I used to take asprin a lot before I knew I had gout and I think this was another factor my UA level was so freakishly high. But now I don't take any asprin at all.
Well guys it's the 2nd day since I stopped the colchicine still no pain so i'm going to stay off it unless I get a flare. I must say after 3 1/2 months on Allop my feet feel like I never suffered thru this nightmare. They haven't felt this good in a year (knock on wood) they feel almost normal. I would have bet money that they'd never feel that way again. The numbness and the ankle pain were the last to go. What a great feeling to be able to stretch with out having pain shoot thru my feet. LIMPY
Make that “prophylaxis”..I hit the “g” instead of the “h.” That's what comes from learning to type after 50!
There’s new approaches to colchicine (Colcrys), these days. Six months is the maximum for most people on uric acid lowering treatment. And, if you are not lowering your uric acid, you should be if it is above 5mg/dL
It’s great for getting you through the early months of uric acid lowering, but never take unnecessary colchicine.
This discussion is closed. If you want to ask about any gout issues, please join the new gout forum.