Colchicine tablets 0.5 mg for gout attacks and familial Mediterranean fever (Colcrys, Mitigare)

General information on Japanese Colchicine tablets 0.5 mg for gout attacks and familial Mediterranean fever (Colcrys, Mitigare)

Package details: 100 tablets

Manufacturer: Takata Seiyaku Co., Ltd., Japan

Active ingredients: colchicine (chemical formula C22H25NO6)

Medical effect: Colchicine tablets are effective for the treatment and prevention of the gout attacks and for relieving symptoms of familial Mediterranean fever.

Contraindications and precautions: do not use for the pregnant, possibly pregnant or breastfeeding women. Do not use for patients with liver or renal disorder.

If an allergic reaction occurs, stop taking the medicine and consult with your doctor. If you’re taking any other medication or receiving any other treatment, you have to consult with your doctor before use.

Avoid drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medication.

Dosage and administration of Colchicine tablets 0.5 mg from Japan for gout attacks and familial Mediterranean fever (Colcrys, Mitigare)

The dosage is prescribed by doctor in charge depending on diagnosis, age and symptoms. The general prescription guidelines are the following:

• During gout attack: for adults, take 1 tablet (0.5 mg of the active ingredient) at a time every 3-4 hours, 6-8 times a day. It is recommended that the daily dose be limited to 1.8 mg, and taking 6-8 tablets daily may be high.
• Gout attack prevention: for adults, take 1-2 tablets (0.5-1 mg of the active ingredient) a day.
• Feeling (a hunch) of gout attack: for adults, take 1 tablet (0.5 mg) at a time.
• Familial Mediterranean fever: for adults, take 1 tablet (0.5 mg) at a time in 1-2 divided doses. The maximum daily dose is 1.5 mg. For children, take 0.01-0.02 mg/kg of the active ingredient a day in 1-2 divided doses. The maximum daily dose is 0.03 mg/kg.

Do not overdose this medication.

How effective are Colchicine tablets 0.5 mg from Japan for gout attacks and familial Mediterranean fever (Colcrys, Mitigare)?

Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving substance extracted from certain plants (Colchicum autumnale and Gloriosa superba). It works by its ability to bind with tubulin, a protein that polymerizes into microtubules, a major component of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton. Colchicine inhibits different proinflammatory mechanisms (e.g., inhibits activation and migration of neutrophils to sites of inflammation, interferes with the inflammasome complex found in neutrophils), and in the same time increases levels of anti-inflammatory mediators.

Who should use Colchicine tablets 0.5 mg from Japan?

Colchicine tablets are effective for the treatment and prevention of the gout attacks. The active ingredient suppresses leukocyte actions on the uric acid in the joints and reduces the inflammation. Also, Colchicine is approved for   reducing attacks and the long-term risk of amyloidosis in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (P. Portincasa "Colchicine, Biologic Agents and More for the Treatment of Familial Mediterranean Fever. The Old, the New, and the Rare". Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2016, 23(1): 60–86).