What Are the Treatments for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is caused by the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB can spread through microscopic droplets released in the air from an infected person. Tuberculosis is a disease that usually attacks the lungs, but it can also cause damage to other parts of your body via your bloodstream. According to the Mayo Clinic, TB is the cause of nearly 2 million deaths a year. It is important to treat TB, as the disease can be fatal if left untreated. TB can result in lung damage, joint destruction or meningitis (infection of your brain and nervous system).

Latent TB

• If you have latent TB, this means that you have an infection, but the TB is not active (contagious). A preventative drug therapy will be given to you in the hopes of preventing the bacteria from becoming active. Drug therapy is used to kill TB bacterium. According to the Mayo Clinic, with latent TB, a daily dose or a twice-a-week dose of isoniazid will be administered for nine months. Isoniazid can cause serious side effects, such as hepatitis. It isn't recommended that you use acetaminophen (i.e., Tylenol) during the course of your treatment, as this can lead to liver damage.

Active TB

• When you have TB that is active, you will be given a cocktail of four different medications. These drugs include isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. In some instances, this drug combination is ineffective, and a new drug combination may be administered. For example, if the drugs prove to be drug resistant, you may be taken off of one or two of the medications after beginning treatment. According to the Mayo Clinic, during the initial stages of your treatment, you may be hospitalized until you are no longer contagious. Drugs for active TB need to be taken as prescribed for the full course of the treatment (six to 12 months). If the drugs are discontinued, then the TB can become resistant to medications, or you can become sick again.

Other Treatments

• Rifater is a combination drug that is contained in one tablet. Rifater contains isoniazid, rifampin and pyrazinamide. Rifater is an easier form of treatment, since only one tablet is administered instead of four. Another form of treatment is rifapentine. This drug is only taken once a week, and treatment lasts for four months.

Drug-Resistant TB

• Drug resistant TB is difficult to treat, as well as costly. You may be given a cocktail of medications, including the drugs prescribed for active TB. Medications can be given for more than two years. According to the Mayo Clinic, in many cases, those with drug-resistant TB probably won't survive. At this point, the disease has already ravaged your lungs, as well as your body. Even if treatment is a success, lung damage will need to be repaired, and infected tissue will need to be removed.

Vaccine

• There is a vaccine (bacille Calmette-Guerin) for TB. However, the vaccine is usually given to infants and small children in countries where TB is prevalent. According to the Centers for Disease Control, BCG isn't a guaranteed prevention against TB. A vaccine would only be necessary if you're visiting countries that have active TB.