Colchicine for acute low back pain

Colchicine is a medicine taken by mouth, long used to prevent and treat gout. However, it is no longer the gout medicine of choice because 80% of people who take the medicine in doses that are high enough to be effective develop stomach problems, such as cramping, nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting.¹

Colchicine is occasionally used to reduce inflammation related to low back pain. But limited research suggests that it may be no better than placebo treatment.²

Colchicine is not recommended for people who have:

• Kidney disease.
• Liver disease.
• Inflammatory bowel disease.
• A low white blood cell count.

Citations

1. Hellmann DB, Stone JH (2005). Crystal deposition arthritis section of Arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders. In LM Tierney Jr et al., eds., Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, 44th ed., pp. 784–788. New York: Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill.

2. Van Tulder M, Koes B (2004). Low back pain (acute). Clinical Evidence (12): 1643–1658.

Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH Lila Havens	Last Updated February 15, 2006
Medical Review:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Kathie Hummel-Berry, PT, PhD - Physical Therapy Robert B. Keller, MD - Orthopedics
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