DOES COLCHICINE WORK? THE RESULTS OF THE FIRST CONTROLLED STUDY IN ACUTE GOUT

TLDR

The study aimed to assess colchicine’s efficacy and toxicity in acute gout and to characterize the disease’s natural history. The authors conducted the first controlled trial of colchicine in acute gout patients. Colchicine improved pain in two‑thirds of patients within 48 h, with earlier response and significant differences from placebo after 18–30 h, but all treated patients experienced diarrhea around 24 h, often before pain relief.

Abstract

Abstract We have performed the first controlled study of colchicine in acute gout, to determine its efficacy and toxicity, and to define the natural history of acute gout. Two‐thirds of colchicine‐treated patients improved after 48 hours, but only one‐third of the patients receiving placebo demonstrated similar improvement. The colchicine‐treated patients responded earlier; significant differences from placebo were shown after 18–30 hours. All patients given colchicine developed diarrhea after a median time of 24 hours (mean dose of colchicine 6.7 mg). This side effect occurred before relief of pain in most patients.