Anyone taking meds for latent tb
Would like to know they're side effects. I've been taking this and it's awful
Hi,
! I know a couple of our members took medications to deal with latent TB or an exposure to TB that showed up in their bloodwork. They did not share about any side effects they may have experienced from the medications, though (not that I could find).
Some of the more common side effects seem to be nausea and basically feeling like you have the flu. Is that what you are experiencing?
I do hope the side effects settle down and that you are able to finish the course of treatment. Some doctors do require this treatment before proceeding with medications used to treat RA.
Wishing you some relief!
Best, Erin, Team Member.
Thank you for replying. This medication has totally exhausted me. I have chronic joint pain all day long, has zapped my energy and have chronic fatigue where I constantly feel weak. I'm hoping I can stop it after 2 months because it has consumed my life, oh, man. I'm sorry. While those side effects fall under the "normal" side effects a person may experience on these medications, it sure doesn't feel normal when you're the one dealing with them!
It looks like most medication courses for latent TB run 3-4 months. If you haven't done so already, you might see what medications you might take to help with some of the side effects. I know it's only a stopgap measure, but it might help get you through the worst parts. Well, except the fatigue. If I ever come up for a surefire fix for chronic fatigue, I will be one popular woman!
Hang in there. You're doing great!
Gentle Hugs, Erin, Team Member.
Erin
Thank you so much for replying. It's nice to know someone is listening when you feel this way.
Hi
. As Erin noted, it could be useful to discuss the potential side effects you are experiencing to try to determine if some may be from the RA or the laten TB treatment. For example, the fatigue is not listed as one of the primary side effects in this page on the treatment: https://www.thetruthabouttb.org/latent-tb/latent-tb-treatment/ or here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4211866/. Note that there are sites, such as this one from the CDC, that mention fatigue, but also note that one should contact a healthcare provider if it occurs: https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/treatment/adverseevents.htm. Really hoping you can get some answers so that you can complete the treatment and, hopefully, get the RA under control. Please feel free, if you like, to keep us posted on how things are going - this community is here for you. Best, Richard (Team Member)
