Examples
First-choice medicines:
|
| Myambutol | ethambutol |
| isoniazid | |
| pyrazinamide | |
| Mycobutin | rifabutin |
| Rifadin, Rimactane | rifampin |
| Priftin | rifapentine |
Second-choice medicines:
|
| amikacin | |
| Capastat Sulfate | capreomycin |
| Seromycin | cycloserine |
| Trecator | ethionamide |
| Levaquin | levofloxacin |
| Avelox | moxifloxacin |
| Paser | para-aminosalicylic acid |
| streptomycin | |
Combination medicines:
|
| Rifater | isoniazid plus pyrazinamide plus rifampin |
| Rifamate | isoniazid plus rifampin |
How It Works
These antibiotics kill the bacteria that
cause
(TB).
Multiple-drug therapy
to treat TB means taking several different antibiotics at the same time. This
is the first choice of treatment for TB that is growing in your body (active TB
disease). Most of these medicines are given as pills. The American Thoracic
Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Infectious
Diseases Society of America recommend using one of several combinations of the
first-choice medicines to start treatment.
The standard treatment is to take isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and
pyrazinamide for 2 months. Treatment is then continued for at least 4 months
with fewer medicines. Also, there are special treatment recommendations for
people with HIV and TB,
people with drug-resistant TB,
children with active TB, and
pregnant women with active TB.
Prepared
combination medicines, such as Rifater, are usually used when there is a need
for fewer numbers of pills, such as when a health professional is not giving
each dose of medicine personally. Combining antibiotics into a single pill
makes it less likely that you will miss taking any doses. Failure to take a
medicine could prolong your treatment and increase your chance of developing
TB.
Streptomycin usually
is given only to people who cannot take ethambutol.
Isoniazid
given alone usually prevents a
from turning into active TB
disease, which can spread to other people. Rifampin
also can help prevent latent TB from becoming active TB.
Why It Is Used
Treatment with several medicines
makes it more likely that all TB-causing bacteria will be killed. The
combination of medicines and the length of treatment may change based
on:
- Whether you have latent TB or active
TB.
- Whether you are also infected with the
.
- Whether you are pregnant.
- Your
age.
- The results of
sensitivity testing, which determine the medicines
that can kill the TB bacteria you have.
How Well It Works
Treatment for active TB disease
The standard
treatment for TB using a combination of four medicines is very effective.
Almost everyone infected with TB bacteria that can be killed by the medicines
are cured if they take the medicines exactly as they should., The cure rate for people who have
TB and HIV is similar to that for people who have only TB.