Cautions with other medicines
Certain medicines can affect the way colchicine works. These can make you more likely to get serious or life-threatening side effects.
Speak to your doctor before starting to take colchicine if you take:
- azathioprine, methotrexate or any other medicine that can affect your kidneys, your liver or your blood (check with your doctor if you're not sure)
- clarithromycin or erythromycin, antibiotics used to treat infections
- ritonavir or atazanavir, antiviral medicines used to treat HIV infection
- ciclosporin, a medicine for psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and after an organ transplant
- ketoconazole, itraconazole or voriconazole, antifungal medicines
- verapamil or diltiazem, medicines for the heart
- disulfiram, a medicine used to treat alcohol dependence
These are not all the medicines that may affect colchicine. Check the leaflet that comes with your medicine.
Your doctor may need to adjust your dose if you are taking any of these medicines.
Mixing colchicine with herbal remedies and supplements
There's not enough information to say that complementary medicines, herbal remedies and supplements are safe to take with colchicine. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.
Important: Medicine safety
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements.