Colchicine is effective for short-term treatment of slow transit constipation: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE
Although colchicine has been tested in clinical trials for treatment of constipation, the index groups in those trials were composed of special patient groups with developmental neuromuscular defects or failed surgical management. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of colchicine in patients with refractory slow transit constipation.


METHODS
Sixty patients with chief complaint of chronic constipation due to slow transit consented to be included in the double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. These patients were randomly divided into two groups (each containing 30 patients) to receive either colchicine, 1 mg QD, (group A) or placebo (group B) for 2 months. At the end of the study, Knowles-Eccersly-Scot symptom (KESS, a valid technique to assist in the diagnosis and evaluation of symptoms in constipation) scores were compared between the case and control groups.


RESULTS
The mean KESS score measured at the end of 2 months was 11.67 +/- 3.91 for colchicine and 18.66 +/- 3.72 for placebo group (p = 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
This trial shows that low-dose colchicine is effective in treatment of slow transit constipation.
Taghavi
Seyed Alireza
SA
Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 71345-1744, Shiraz, Iran.
Shabani
Sanaz
S
Mehramiri
Asie
A
Eshraghian
Ahad
A
Kazemi
Seyed Mohammad Hasan
SM
Moeini
Maryam
M
Hosseini-Asl
Seyed Mohammad Kazem
SM
Saberifiroozi
Mehdi
M
Alizade-Naeeni
Mahvash
M
Mostaghni
Amir Ahmad
AA
D000328:Adult; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003248:Constipation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003710:Demography; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010919:Placebos; D013997:Time Factors; D050257:Tubulin Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D010919:Placebos; D050257:Tubulin Modulators; D003078:Colchicine
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