Treatment FAQ

what if i start treatment for tb and i don't really have it

by Ms. Eva Mraz Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Nutrition

The 6- to 9-month RIPE TB treatment regimens consist of. R ifampin (RIF), I soniazid (INH), P yrazinamide (PZA), and. E thambutol (EMB) RIPE regimens for treating TB disease have an intensive phase of 2 months, followed by a continuation phase of either 4 or 7 months (total of 6 to 9 months for treatment).

What should I do if I think I have tuberculosis?

A course of antibiotic medicine will treat latent TB. You may be given Rifampicin and Isoniazid for three months (which may be together in a tablet called Rifinah) or Isoniazid by itself for six months. Your doctor or TB specialist nurse will talk you through the treatment and answer any questions you may have.

How long does it take to cure tuberculosis?

Apr 03, 2021 · Ethambutol (Myambutol) Pyrazinamide. If you have drug-resistant TB, a combination of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones and injectable medications, such as amikacin or capreomycin (Capastat), are generally used for 20 to 30 months. Some types of TB are developing resistance to these medications as well.

Do I need to go to hospital for TB treatment?

Have no symptoms. Don’t feel sick. Can’t spread TB germs to others. Will usually have a positive TB blood test or positive TB skin test reaction. May develop TB disease if they do not receive treatment for LTBI (see page 13). People with LTBI do not have symptoms, and they cannot spread TB germs to others.

What happens if you don’t treat TB infection?

Here are answers to common questions from people who have TB infection. Once I complete treatment for TB infection, does that mean I will not get TB disease? The medicine does not work for everyone, but it works really well for most people. Most people who complete treatment for TB infection will not get TB disease.

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What happens if you take TB medication without TB?

Without treatment, LTBI can progress to TB disease. If you have LTBI, you should be treated to prevent developing TB disease. If you have TB disease, you will need to take medicine to treat the disease.

Can you be misdiagnosed with tuberculosis?

Diseases, most often initially misdiagnosed as tuberculosis, were pneumonia (52 %), lung cancer (20 %). 2. The period from the disease manifestation up to establishment of final diagnosis was 84 ± 72.8 (mean±SD) days.

How long can you have TB without knowing?

How soon do symptoms appear? Most people infected with the germ that causes TB never develop TB disease. If TB disease does develop, it can occur two to three months after infection or years later.

Does inactive TB need treatment?

Treatment of latent TB infection is essential to controlling TB in the United States because it substantially reduces the risk that latent TB infection will progress to TB disease. In the United States, up to 13 million people may have latent TB infection.

What does TB look like on xray?

Overview. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that causes inflammation, the formation of tubercles and other growths within tissue, and can cause tissue death. These chest x-rays show advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. There are multiple light areas (opacities) of varying size that run together (coalesce).Dec 24, 2020

What has similar symptoms to TB?

Angina.Atherosclerosis.Colorectal Cancer.Cough.Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.Histoplasmosis.Hypercholesterolemia.Lyme Disease.More items...

How do TB symptoms start?

TB disease usually develops slowly, and it may take several weeks before you notice you're unwell. Your symptoms might not begin until months or even years after you were initially infected. Sometimes the infection does not cause any symptoms. This is known as latent TB.

What are the 3 stages of TB?

There are 3 stages of TB—exposure, latent, and active disease. A TB skin test or a TB blood test can diagnose the disease.

What is the fastest way to cure TB?

The most common treatment for active TB is isoniazid INH in combination with three other drugs—rifampin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. You may begin to feel better only a few weeks after starting to take the drugs but treating TB takes much longer than other bacterial infections.Apr 8, 2020

Is TB 100% curable?

There is no cure for TB This is false; TB is treatable. The most common treatment for a latent TB infection is the antibiotic isoniazid. People with TB should take this drug as a single daily pill for 6–9 months.Mar 24, 2021

Can TB be cured in 3 months?

ATLANTA - Health officials on Monday celebrated a faster treatment for people who have tuberculosis but aren't infectious, after investigators found a new combination of pills knocks out the disease in three months instead of nine.May 16, 2011

Can you get tuberculosis twice?

Even if you successfully beat tuberculosis, you can get tuberculosis infection again. In fact, TB reinfection is becoming more common. Tuberculosis is a potentially life-threatening, airborne bacterial infection that can be found worldwide.Dec 16, 2009

Is Latent TB Treatment Safe?

As with all medicines, there may be side effects. Some are mild, while others may be more serious. Depending on the treatment you receive, you may...

How Do I Take Latent TB medication?

It is important that you take your medicine regularly and complete the full course, to make sure all TB bacteria are removed from your body.Try to...

I Am Worried About Getting Treated For Latent Tb, but I Don’T Want to Get Ill?

You will receive support throughout your treatment from a doctor or TB specialist nurse. They will talk you through the treatment and answer any qu...

When I Finish My Treatment, Will I Be Free of TB Forever?

If you complete your treatment as prescribed, your risk of developing active TB is much lower. However, it is possible you could breathe in the TB...

How to know if you have TB?

If you complete your treatment as prescribed, your risk of developing active TB is much lower. However, it is possible you could breathe in the TB bacteria again in future. The chances of this are low for most people, but is useful to know the most common symptoms of active TB so you can see your GP if you have any of them: 1 a cough which lasts for three weeks or longer 2 fever (a high temperature) 3 night sweats 4 weight loss 5 no appetite 6 tiredness.

Can you breathe in TB?

However, it is possible you could breathe in the TB bacteria again in future. The chances of this are low for most people, but is useful to know the most common symptoms of active TB so you can see your GP if you have any of them: a cough which lasts for three weeks or longer. fever (a high temperature) night sweats.

What is the best treatment for tuberculosis?

The most common medications used to treat tuberculosis include: Isoniazid. Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) Ethambutol (Myambutol) Pyrazinamide. If you have drug-resistant TB, a combination of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones and injectable medications, such as amikacin or capreomycin (Capastat), are generally used for 20 to 30 months.

How long do you have to take antibiotics for tuberculosis?

For active tuberculosis, you must take antibiotics for at least six to nine months. The exact drugs and length of treatment depend on your age, overall health, possible drug resistance and where the infection is in your body.

What is the most common test for tuberculosis?

The most commonly used diagnostic tool for tuberculosis is a skin test, though blood tests are becoming more commonplace. A small amount of a substance called tuberculin is injected just below the skin on the inside of your forearm. You should feel only a slight needle prick.

What to do if you have a positive skin test?

If you've had a positive skin test, your doctor is likely to order a chest X-ray or a CT scan. This might show white spots in your lungs where your immune system has walled off TB bacteria, or it might reveal changes in your lungs caused by active tuberculosis.

How does physical health affect mental health?

Your physical health can affect your mental health. Denial, anger and frustration are normal when you must deal with something as challenging as tuberculosis. Talking to someone such as a therapist might help you develop coping strategies.

What is the test for TB?

Sputum tests. If your chest X-ray shows signs of tuberculosis, your doctor might take samples of your sputum — the mucus that comes up when you cough. The samples are tested for TB bacteria. Sputum samples can also be used to test for drug-resistant strains of TB.

What to do when you make an appointment?

What you can do. When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance. Make a list of: Your symptoms, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment, and when they began.

What happens if you don't have TB?

Your healthcare provider may have also asked if you have HIV infection. That’s because having HIV infection and TB infection together can make you very sick. If you don’t know, ask your healthcare provider to give you an HIV test.

Can a BCG test be positive?

I always thought that my BCG vaccine would cause my TB skin test to be positive. My healthcare provider said that some people who have had a BCG vaccine have positive TB skin tests and some have negative TB skin tests. I learned that a positive test often means a person has TB infection.

Can you get TB from a BCG?

Some people from countries other than the United States have had the BCG vaccine for TB. The BCG vaccine will not always protect you from TB. Even if you had the BCG vaccine, you can still go on to get TB. If you have a positive TB skin test, your healthcare provider will decide if you need treatment for TB.

Can you get TB from someone else?

Yes. The treatment you receive for TB infection only treats the TB germs in your body now. There is the possibility that you can be around someone else with T B disease and get new TB germs. Yet—most healthy people won’t ever need to be treated again.

How long does it take for TB to go away?

However, it's important to continue taking your medicine exactly as prescribed and to complete the whole course of antibiotics. Taking medication for 6 months is the best way to ensure the TB bacteria are killed.

How to treat latent TB?

Treatment for latent TB generally involves: 1 either taking a combination of rifampicin and isoniazid for 3 months 2 or isoniazid on its own for 6 months

What happens if you stop taking antibiotics?

If you stop taking your antibiotics before you complete the course or you skip a dose, the TB infection may become resistant to the antibiotics. This is potentially serious because it can be difficult to treat and will require a longer course of treatment with different, and possibly more toxic, therapies.

How long does it take to get rid of latent TB?

Treatment for latent TB generally involves: either taking a combination of rifampicin and isoniazid for 3 months. or isoniazid on its own for 6 months.

Can TB cause liver damage?

If you have latent TB and are aged 65 or under, treatment is usually recommended. However, the antibiotics used to treat TB can cause liver damage in older adults.

Can isoniazid cause neuropathy?

Isoniazid can cause nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy). You'll be given supplements of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) to take alongside it to reduce this risk. Your liver function will be tested before you start treatment. In rare cases, the antibiotics used to treat TB can cause eye damage, which can be serious.

Can TB be fatal?

While TB is a serious condition that can be fatal if left untreated, deaths are rare if treatment is completed. Most people do not need to be admitted to hospital during treatment.

What to do if you think you have TB?

You may have the disease. If you don’t have a doctor, call your local health department. They’ll give you a TB skin test or special blood test to find out whether you have it. If the results show that you do have TB, you’ll have to get treatment.

How to avoid getting TB?

Use a weekly pill dispenser. Ask a friend or family member to remind you. In the beginning, while you’re being treated, you’ll need to stay home – no work, no school, no visiting friends. That’s the best way to avoid infecting others with the TB bacteria. Separate yourself from your family or roommates.

How to tell if you have TB?

As with all medications, those you take for TB can have side effects. Some can be serious. Call your doctor right away if you have these or other symptoms: 1 Lack of appetite 2 Nausea / vomiting 3 Yellowish tint to your skin or eyes ( jaundice) 4 A fever that is high (100.4 F) or lasts 3 or more days 5 Abdominal pain 6 Tingling in your fingers or toes 7 Pain in your lower chest 8 Heartburn 9 Itchiness 10 Skin rash 11 Easy bruising 12 Bleeding from gums 13 Nosebleed 14 Dark or brown urine 15 Aching joints 16 Dizziness 17 Numbness or tingling around your mouth 18 Blurred or otherwise changed vision 19 Hearing loss / ears ringing

What is the best medicine for TB?

The most common medications used to treat TB disease are isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. Be sure to take your medicine exactly as prescribed, for as long as it’s prescribed. If you stop, or don’t take it as ordered, you can get sick again. Not only that, but you run the risk of infecting others.

How long do you have to take TB medicine?

You’ll take these drugs for at least 6 to 9 months.

How to take meds every day?

Here are a few ways you might do that: Pick a daily activity and take your medicines when you do that activity -- like before or after brushing your teeth, putting in your contact lenses, or eating breakfast. Write an “X” on a calendar each day after you take your meds. Use a weekly pill dispenser.

How to get rid of a sneeze?

Separate yourself from your family or roommates. Always use a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and then throw it away in a closed plastic bag. Air out your room whenever possible, because it’s easier for the bacteria to breed in small, enclosed spaces that lack fresh air.

What is MDR TB?

MDR TB is a particular type of drug resistant TB. It means that the TB bacteria that a person is infected with are resistant to two of the most important TB drugs, isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RMP). Now , if u miss medicine one or two day's. due to some reason. Bec's no one will escape medicine intentially.

What is DOTS treatment?

Treatment under DOTS [thrice weekly intermittent course] requires a patient to gulp all the medicines one after another in a short period of time and hence this question of missing a pill should not arise and treatment outcomes are usually cures.

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