Contents:
- Medical Video: Side effects of TB medicines - a brief idea in hindi
- Why do TB patients have to take drugs for a long time?
- What are the side effects of TB drugs that might appear?
- Do you have to stop treatment if you experience these side effects?
Medical Video: Side effects of TB medicines - a brief idea in hindi
According to the WHO, every second there is one person infected with tuberculosis in the world. Indonesia is the second largest country with the most cases of pulmonary TB in the world, after India. The total number of TB cases per year is 351,893 people, most of whom are productive age people (25-34 years). In order for TB to be completely cured, you should routinely take antibiotics that are usually prescribed for 6 months. Then, are there any side effects of TB drugs that might appear if they have to be taken for a long time?
Why do TB patients have to take drugs for a long time?
The recovery period for TB varies from patient to patient, depending on the health condition of the TB patient and the severity of the TB experienced. The condition of TB patients will usually begin to improve and TB will stop infectious after taking TB drugs for 2 weeks. But to ensure complete recovery, TB patients must use TB drugs or antibiotics given by doctors for 6-9 months.
Treatment of tuberculosis usually takes a long time because the nature of the infection is easily transmitted and quite serious. If you are not disciplined about taking medication, there are great opportunities for various side effects and complications of TB that may arise, such as bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics so the symptoms are even more severe and more difficult to treat. You are also more likely to transmit your disease to people around you if you often forget to take medication.
What are the side effects of TB drugs that might appear?
The types of antibiotics commonly prescribed to treat tuberculosis are isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol - or a combination called rifater.Rifater is usually used for two months. The dose itself will be adjusted to the patient's weight.
Just like all other drugs, TB drugs also have side effects. Here's a list of possible side effects of TB drugs that might appear:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stomach ache
- Pain and heat sensation in your chest (heartburn)
- Diarrhea
- Muscle pain and joint pain
- Headache
- Rash and itching
- Sleepy
- Dizzy
- Circling sensation
- Buzzing repeatedly in the ear
- Numbness or tingling in the legs
Immediately notify your doctor if you experience side effects of TB drugs, such as the following:
- Joint pain accompanied by swelling
- The eyes turn yellow
- Changes in urine amount
- Thirst that continues to increase
- Urine bleeding
- Changes in vision
- Heartbeat is so fast
- Easy to bruise or bleed
- Having a fever and persistent sore throat (a sign of a new infection)
- Changes in mood such as confusion, and experience hallucinations or delusions that are seen or heard (psychosis)
- Seizures
To note, rifater also has contraindications to birth control pills, diabetes medications, and high blood pressure drugs.
Do you have to stop treatment if you experience these side effects?
TB patients can feel the benefits of TB drugs after two weeks of treatment. Symptoms of diseases such as fever and cough will begin to decrease, but this does not mean that TB drugs can and / or can be stopped.
Quite a number of tuberculosis patients do not take medication anymore because they feel their body is healthy. This action is not right because if the medicine is not taken until it is finished then your TB disease will not heal completely even though the symptoms are gone. The symptoms will arise again because the tuberculosis germs are still present in the body, only inactive aka "sleeping" (dormant phase). They can be active again and reproduce at any time if triggered, for example when your immune system is weakened.
This is what makes you get the impression that your TB is "relapsing", when in fact you have never fully recovered.
So don't ever stop taking TB drugs even though there is a risk of drug side effects. These side effects are very rare and not everyone experiences them. The doctor prescribes medication for you knowing that the benefits will outweigh the risk of side effects.
If you begin to experience side effects as mentioned above, it is better to consult with your doctor. Usually the doctor will change the dose or medication that best suits your condition.
