Tuberculosis Treatments
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Time Frame
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The organisms that cause TB grow and die very slowly, so treatment usually takes between six and nine months.
First Line Therapy
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The standard drugs used in the initial stage of treatment are ethambutol, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, rifampicin and streptomycin.
Second Line Therapy
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Aminoglycosides, polypeptides, flouroquinolones, thioamides, cycloserine and p-aminosalicylic acid are the six second-line drugs used when standard, or first-line, therapy fails. They are considered second line because they may be less effective or more toxic than the first-line drugs.
Steroids
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Corticosteroids such as prednisolone and dexamethasone have proven to be useful in the treatment of tuberculosis meningitis and tuberculosis pericarditis.
Vitamin D
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Vitamin D supplementation is useful in the treatment of tuberculosis, and also enhances immunity, according to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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