colchicine vs ketoconazole

According to this portal's Publishing Organization, this page was last reviewed in August 2026 against our methodology. Figures and extracts on this site, including tables above 1,000 rows when the corpus is that large, are the publisher's responsibility.

Side-by-side comparison of colchicine and ketoconazole. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Drug Interactions: Pharmacokinetic Parameters for Colchicine Tablets in the Presence of the Coadministered Drug Coadministered Drug Dose of Coadministered Drug (mg) Dose of Colchicine Tablets (mg) N % Change in Colchicine Concentrations from Baseline (Range: Min – Max) C max AUC 0-t Cyclosporine 100 mg single dose 0.6 mg single dose 23 270.0 (62.0 to 606.9) 259.0 (75.8 to 511.9) Clarithromycin 250 mg twice daily, 7 days 0.6 mg single dose 23 227.2 (65.7 to 591.1) 281.5 (88.7 to 851.6) Ketoconazole 200 mg twice daily, 5 days 0.6 mg single dose 24 101.7 (19.6 to 219.0) 212.2 (76.7 to 419.6)...

Drug Class
colchicine Anti-Gout Agent
ketoconazole Azole Antifungal
Type
colchicine Prescription
ketoconazole Over-the-Counter
Summary
colchicine

Colchicine is a medicine used to prevent or treat gout flares and Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). It works by reducing inflammation and pain.

ketoconazole

Ketoconazole shampoo is an antifungal medicine. It treats a fungal infection on your skin.

What It Treats
colchicine

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.

ketoconazole

This shampoo treats tinea versicolor, a fungal infection. This infection can cause patches on your skin that are lighter or darker than the surrounding skin. These patches may appear on your trunk, neck, arms, and upper thighs.

How It Works
colchicine

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.

ketoconazole

Ketoconazole is an antifungal medicine. It works by stopping the growth of the fungus. This helps to clear up the infection.

Common Side Effects
colchicine
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
ketoconazole

No common side effects listed.

FAERS Reports
colchicine
  • Diarrhoea 2,660
  • Nausea 1,940
  • Fatigue 1,747
  • Dyspnoea 1,467
  • Acute Kidney Injury 1,436
ketoconazole
  • Fatigue 929
  • Pruritus 902
  • Nausea 834
  • Rash 802
  • Diarrhoea 760
Serious Warnings
colchicine

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.

ketoconazole

You should not use this shampoo if you are allergic to ketoconazole or any of the other ingredients.

Pregnancy
colchicine

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.

ketoconazole

It is not known if ketoconazole shampoo can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before using this medicine.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This colchicine vs ketoconazole Comparison

colchicine is classified in the Anti-Gout Agent drug class, while ketoconazole sits within the Azole Antifungal class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are split between OTC and prescription status, which affects access and supervision.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, colchicine has 9,250 submissions while ketoconazole has 4,227. 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 minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to ketoconazole significantly slows down the removal of colchicine from your system. this can cause the amount of colchicine in your blood to more than double.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for colchicine or ketoconazole.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.