Colchicine Overdose in a Suicidal Attempt

• Main Authors: Fatemeh Eghbali, Reza Bidaki, Sina Negintaji, Maryam Dehghani, Adeleh Sahebnasagh, Ali Asghar Bagheri Atabak, Fatemeh Saghafi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences 2019-10-01
• Series: International Journal of Medical Toxicology and Forensic Medicine
• Subjects: colchicine; toxicity; case
• Online Access: https://journals.sbmu.ac.ir/ijmtfm/article/view/26520/pdf
• ISSN: 2251-8762; 2251-8770

Colchicine overdose is uncommon; however, it can cause serious adverse effects and even death. Colchicine inhibits microtubule polymerization, causing mitotic spindle disruption. Ingesting ˃0.5 mg of colchicine per kilogram bodyweight causes severe adverse effects and can even be fatal. Therefore, colchicine toxicity must be accurately monitored and managed. In this case report, we described a 21-year-old woman who attempted suicide by the ingestion of an estimated 30 mg colchicine. She was admitted to the hospital due to severe abdominal and chest pain, vomiting, lethargy, and weakness. The patient was medicated with ondansetron, apotel, antibiotics, platelet transfusions, sodium phosphate, calcium gluconate, calcitriol, desmopressin acetate, Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF), and sodium bicarbonate. Fortunately, through the appropriate medical treatment, the signs and symptoms of colchicine toxicity were relieved and the patient survived despite the high colchicine serum level.