Definition of "colchicine" []

• A poisonous, pale-yellow alkaloid, C22H25NO6, obtained from the autumn crocus and used in plant breeding to induce chromosome doubling and in medicine to treat gout. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Standard treatment for gout includes fairly inexpensive nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, steroids such as prednisone and another older medicine, called colchicine."
• "Treatment includes a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) when symptoms begin and a prescription medication called colchicine to help decrease uric acid levels and reduce pain, swelling and inflammation."
• "A drug called colchicine sometimes is used, but it tends to cause unpleasant side effects (nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea) in about"