atorvastatin vs colchicine
Side-by-side comparison of atorvastatin and colchicine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
Colchicine Clinical Impact: Cases of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis have been reported with concomitant use of colchicine with atorvastatin. Intervention: Consider the risk/benefit of concomitant use of colchicine with atorvastatin.
Recommendation: Your doctor should carefully weigh the risks and benefits before prescribing these two drugs together.
Lipitor
Colcrys, Mitigare
Atorvastatin is a drug that lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart problems and stroke. It belongs to a class of drugs called statins.
Colchicine is a medicine used to prevent or treat gout flares and Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). It works by reducing inflammation and pain.
Atorvastatin is used to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides in your blood. It can help prevent heart attacks, strokes, and the need for heart procedures in adults with heart disease or risk factors for it. It is also used in children 10 years and older with certain inherited cholesterol problems.
Colchicine is used to prevent and treat gout flares in adults. Gout flares cause sudden, severe pain, redness, and swelling in your joints. Colchicine is also used to treat Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) in adults and children ages 4 and older. FMF causes recurring fevers and pain in the abdomen, chest, or joints.
Atorvastatin works by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol. This helps to lower the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Lowering cholesterol can help prevent heart disease.
Colchicine reduces inflammation in the body. It does this by blocking certain processes that cause swelling and pain. This helps to relieve gout flares and manage FMF symptoms.
- • Common cold symptoms
- • Joint pain
- • Diarrhea
- • Pain in arms or legs
- • Urinary tract infection
- • Diarrhea
- • Abdominal pain
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- Tiredness 13,809
- Feeling sick to your stomach 12,421
- Type 2 diabetes 11,243
- Diarrhea 11,034
- Difficulty breathing 11,029
- Diarrhea 2,661
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,940
- Feeling very tired 1,745
- Difficulty breathing 1,466
- Sudden damage to the kidneys 1,436
Atorvastatin can cause muscle problems, including muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness. In rare cases, this can lead to serious kidney damage. Tell your doctor right away if you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if you also have a fever or feel sick. Atorvastatin can also cause liver problems. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking atorvastatin and while you are taking it.
Taking too much colchicine can be fatal in both adults and children. Keep this medicine out of the reach of children. Colchicine can also cause serious blood problems and muscle weakness. Certain medicines can interact with colchicine and cause life-threatening problems. Talk to your doctor about all the medicines you take.
Atorvastatin can harm an unborn baby. You should not take atorvastatin if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is also not recommended to breastfeed while taking atorvastatin.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Colchicine may harm your unborn baby. It is not known if colchicine passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking colchicine while breastfeeding.
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How to Read This atorvastatin vs colchicine Comparison
atorvastatin is classified in the HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin) drug class, while colchicine sits within the Anti-Gout Agent class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, atorvastatin has 59,536 submissions while colchicine has 9,248. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both drugs can cause muscle damage, and taking them together increases the risk of a severe muscle breakdown.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between atorvastatin and colchicine - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.