T50.4: Poisoning: Drugs affecting uric acid metabolism

You have been poisoned by colchicine or by another drug that is used to treat high quantities of uric acid in the blood.

The uric acid content in the blood can increase if the body creates additional uric acid or passes less uric acid. For example, your body will create a lot of uric acid if you drink a lot of alcohol or eat certain animal foods in large quantities. If you have too much uric acid in your blood, small uric acid crystals can build up, resulting in the joints, for example, becoming inflamed and hurting. This is known as gout. Uric acid crystals can also build up in the kidneys and other tissue and cause symptoms.

There are various medications that can be used for a uric acid level in the blood that is too high. Colchicine is another medicine that is also used to treat gout. However, it can also be used for other conditions.

A drug can cause poisoning if, for example, too much of it is taken. The drug may also be administered or taken by mistake.

If you have poisoning with a medicine for gout, you may have various symptoms. You sometimes feel dizzy or you have a headache. You may have gastrointestinal symptoms, for example. Sometimes allergic reactions or skin rashes can also occur. You may also have problems with your kidneys or liver. If you haven’t been taking the medication for a long time, taking it can lead to acute gout attacks. The medicine colchicine can also cause problems with the nerves and muscles. Colchicine can also cause you to have too few of certain blood cells. This can cause bleeding, for example.