Tuberculosis Treatment
Learn
- Overview
- What It Is
- Causes
- Risk Factors
- Diagnosis
- Symptoms
- Prognosis
- Living With
- Complications
- User Questions
Take Action
- Screening
- Medications
- Prevention
- Treatment
- Alternative Treatment
- Care Guide
- Questions for Your Doctor
- When to Contact a Doctor
- Find a Doctor
- Resource Guide
How to Treat Tuberculosis
Medication can prevent TB from becoming active. It can also help cure active TB. It is very important that you take all medication exactly as prescribed. Take all the medication, even if the symptoms go away. If you do not finish your medication, you may develop drug-resistant TB. This form is very difficult to cure.
For Inactive TB
People who have a positive skin test but no signs of active TB may need to take medication to prevent active TB. The drug isoniazid is usually given for six months or longer.
For Active TB
Your doctor may give you a combination of the following drugs:
- Isoniazid
- Rifampin
- Pyrazinamide
- Ethambutol
- Streptomycin
- Under special circumstances, other drugs may be used
If you have active TB, you will need to be isolated from friends, family, and coworkers until your doctor says you are no longer contagious. This is usually after the first several weeks of medication use. This will help prevent the spread of TB. You can resume your normal activities after you get your doctor's approval. You will need to keep taking the drugs until your doctor tells you to stop. This can be six months. In some cases this may be up to two years.
