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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffWhile there's no cure for familial Mediterranean fever, there is effective treatment. The most successful treatment for familial Mediterranean fever is a drug called colchicine. This medication is most effective when it's taken to prevent symptoms from occurring, instead of treating symptoms after they occur.
Colchicine is a drug, usually taken as a pill, which reduces inflammation in your body. Some people might need to take just one dose a day, while others might require smaller, more frequent doses to prevent attacks and to lessen side effects, such as diarrhea. People who can predict an impending attack because they feel discomfort or other predictable symptoms before an attack may be able to stop those attacks before they start by taking colchicine.
Reducing the frequency and intensity of symptoms
When you take colchicine on the schedule set by your doctor, the drug will likely reduce the frequency and intensity of your symptoms. It also lowers your risk of complications, especially amyloidosis. Colchicine can cause side effects such as muscle weakness or pain, tingling or numbness in your hands or feet, especially in older adults, in people with liver disease and in those whose kidneys aren't functioning properly. However, colchicine therapy is generally considered safe, even when taken long term. If your symptoms are not controlled by colchicine, then alpha-interferon, thalidomide, etanercept (Enbrel), infliximab (Remicade) or anakinra (Kineret) may be recommended. One study found that the antidepressant medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be helpful in people who can't tolerate the side effects of colchicine.
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- Kastner DL. Familial Mediterranean fever. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2899961. Accessed May 28, 2010.
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- Rosenberg PM, et al. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of familial Mediterranean fever. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 1, 2010.
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- Rosenberg PM, et al. Management of familial Mediterranean fever. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 1, 2010.
- Ben-Chetrit E, et al. Familial Mediterranean fever in the world. Arthritis and Rheumatism. 2009;61:1447.
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