Your TB Nurse is: Your Hospital Doctor is: About Your · clinic staff if they can give you another...
2
About Your Tuberculosis (TB) Drugs INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS A company limited by guarantee Registered in England No. 3606528 Registered Charity No. 1071886 design: worksong, london 020 8352 8300 Revised 2013 physically sick) your medication may not be absorbed properly into your body. If you are vomiting or have a bad upset stomach please make sure you let your TB Nurse or doctor know as soon as you can. § Skin rashes or itching may occur, but they usually go of their own accord. Very rarely the skin, and possibly the lips and inside of the mouth, may become red and start peeling. If you notice this, please stop taking your TB tablets and contact your doctor or nurse at once. Combination drugs Voractiv Voractiv is a combination of four TB drugs (Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol) in one tablet. Rifater Rifater is a combination of three TB drugs (Rifampicin, Isoniazid and Pyrazinamide) in one tablet. Rifinah Rifinah is a combination of two TB drugs (Rifampicin and Isoniazid) in one tablet. Where can I go for support? If you are affected by TB, there is help available so you don’t feel alone. Your TB Nurse is there to support you through your TB treatment. Make sure you attend all your appointments and let the healthcare professionals know if you are having any trouble taking your tablets. You may find it beneficial to speak to someone else who has also had TB and is now better. TB Alert, the UK’s national tuberculosis charity, can put you in touch with a member of the TB Action Group (TBAG) who will be happy to chat with you and help you through your treatment. For more information on tuberculosis and its treatment, ask clinic staff if they can give you another TB Alert leaflet called Tuberculosis (TB) Treatment. Remember: Your TB Nurse is there to help and advise you throughout your treatment. Please contact your TB Nurse if you feel unwell on your treatment or if there is anything you are unsure of regarding your TB drugs. Your TB Nurse is: Your Hospital Doctor is: Telephone: Email: TB Alert, Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XG Tel: 01273 234029 www.tbalert.org For more information about TB and to read about real people’s experience of the illness, please visit The Truth About TB at www.thetruthabouttb.org If you have an enquiry about TB, or would like to find out more about the TB Action Group (TBAG) – a patient support and advocacy network – please call 01273 234770. TB Alert is the UK’s national tuberculosis charity. Our projects are in the UK, India and Africa, and we also work with international partners to tackle TB as a global issue. Our activities focus on three main areas: § Raising public and professional awareness about TB, and providing support to patients during their treatment § Bringing together statutory health services, voluntary organisations and people affected by TB to plan and deliver better TB services § Developing policy and advocating for the resources to improve the care of patients and the prevention and control of TB This work supports our organisational mission of increasing access to effective treatment for all people affected by TB. Any information in this leaflet regarding the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis is intended to give general information on the subject only. It is not intended as a substitute for the knowledge, expertise, skill and judgement of physicians, pharmacists or other healthcare professionals in patient care. None of the information contained in this leaflet is intended to be used for decisions on diagnosis or treatment. Questions and concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment should be directed to a healthcare professional. INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS Revised 2014
Transcript of Your TB Nurse is: Your Hospital Doctor is: About Your · clinic staff if they can give you another...
About Your Tuberculosis (TB) Drugs
INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS
INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS
About YourTuberculosis (TB)
Drugs
A co
mpa
ny li
mite
d by
gua
rant
ee
Regi
ster
ed in
Eng
land
No.
360
6528
Re
gist
ered
Cha
rity
No.
107
1886
de
sign
: wor
kson
g, lo
ndon
020
835
2 83
00
Rev
ised
201
3
physically sick) your medication may not be absorbedproperly into your body. If you are vomiting or have a badupset stomach please make sure you let your TB Nurseor doctor know as soon as you can.
§ Skin rashes or itching may occur, but they usually go oftheir own accord. Very rarely the skin, and possibly thelips and inside of the mouth, may become red and startpeeling. If you notice this, please stop taking your TBtablets and contact your doctor or nurse at once.
Combination drugsVoractivVoractiv is a combination of four TB drugs (Rifampicin,Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol) in one tablet.
Rifater Rifater is a combination of three TB drugs (Rifampicin,Isoniazid and Pyrazinamide) in one tablet.
RifinahRifinah is a combination of two TB drugs (Rifampicin andIsoniazid) in one tablet.
Where can I go for support?If you are affected by TB, there is help available so you don’tfeel alone.
Your TB Nurse is there to support you through your TBtreatment. Make sure you attend all your appointments andlet the healthcare professionals know if you are having anytrouble taking your tablets.
You may find it beneficial to speak to someone else who hasalso had TB and is now better. TB Alert, the UK’s nationaltuberculosis charity, can put you in touch with a member ofthe TB Action Group (TBAG) who will be happy to chat withyou and help you through your treatment.
For more information on tuberculosis and its treatment, askclinic staff if they can give you another TB Alert leaflet calledTuberculosis (TB) Treatment.
Remember: Your TB Nurse is there to help and advise youthroughout your treatment. Please contact your TB Nurse ifyou feel unwell on your treatment or if there is anything youare unsure of regarding your TB drugs.
Your TB Nurse is:
Your Hospital Doctor is:
Telephone:
Email:
TB Alert, Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XGTel: 01273 234029 www.tbalert.org
For more information about TB and to read about realpeople’s experience of the illness, please visit The TruthAbout TB at www.thetruthabouttb.org
If you have an enquiry about TB, or would like to find outmore about the TB Action Group (TBAG) – a patient supportand advocacy network – please call 01273 234770.
TB Alert is the UK’s national tuberculosis charity. Ourprojects are in the UK, India and Africa, and we alsowork with international partners to tackle TB as a globalissue. Our activities focus on three main areas:§ Raising public and professional awareness about TB,
and providing support to patients during theirtreatment
§ Bringing together statutory health services, voluntaryorganisations and people affected by TB to plan anddeliver better TB services
§ Developing policy and advocating for the resources toimprove the care of patients and the prevention andcontrol of TB
This work supports our organisational mission ofincreasing access to effective treatment for all peopleaffected by TB.Any information in this leaflet regarding the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis is intendedto give general information on the subject only. It is not intended as a substitute for theknowledge, expertise, skill and judgement of physicians, pharmacists or other healthcareprofessionals in patient care. None of the information contained in this leaflet is intended to beused for decisions on diagnosis or treatment. Questions and concerns regarding diagnosis andtreatment should be directed to a healthcare professional.
Drugs 2_5_Rifaterƒ 25/04/2013 17:53 Page 1
INFORMATION FOR PATIENTSRe
vised
201
4
R e m e m b e r t o k e e p a l l m e d i c i n e s e c u r e a n d o u t o f r e a c h o f c h i l d r e n
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with tuberculosis(TB), do not worry. TB is curable.
The only way to guarantee that you will get better from TB isto take specific drugs and to keep taking these until yourdoctor tells you to stop. This will take at least six months, butthen you will know you are free from TB.
TB drugs can sometimes cause side effects, like any othermedicine. This leaflet is designed to tell you more about thedrugs that are used to treat TB.
Before you start taking your TB drugsTell your doctor about:§ All other medicines that you are taking including any that
you buy over the counter in a community pharmacy§ Any previous allergy to any other medicines§ If you have ever had any liver disease§ If you have ever had any other serious illness
TB treatment can be taken safely during pregnancy.However it is important to let your doctor know whether youare pregnant, think you may be pregnant or arebreastfeeding as they may want to amend the drugs theyprescribe for you accordingly.
Rifampicin Isoniazid Pyrazinamide Ethambutol Voractiv Rifater Rifinah
Best absorbed if the stomach isempty – take at least one hourbefore you eat food or two hoursafterwards
¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸
Can be taken with or without food ¸ ¸Most commonly experienced side effects
Stomach upset such as nausea(feeling sick), vomiting anddiarrhoea
¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸
Flu-like symptoms such as chills,fever, dizziness and joint pain ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸Skin rashes and itchiness ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸Menstrual disturbances ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸Pins and needles in the fingers ortoes ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸Body secretions (urine, saliva,semen, vaginal fluids) may turnorangey red
¸ ¸ ¸ ¸
Effectiveness of hormonalcontraceptives (oral pill, implants orother) is reduced*
¸ ¸ ¸ ¸
When should I take my TB tablets?Your doctor or nurse will discuss with you the most suitable time of day for you to take your TB tablets, but here is a helpful guideline:
*Women should use additional means of contraception when they are taking these TB drugs. Ask your doctor or nurse for advice.
Important side effects§ Voractiv, Rifater, Pyrazinamide and Isoniazid may rarely
cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). If younotice this, please stop taking your TB tablets and seekmedical attention immediately. Your doctor or nurse willarrange for you to have a liver function test prior tostarting these TB drugs and you will be monitored whileyou are on treatment.
§ Voractiv, Ethambutol and Isoniazid may rarely causereversible visual disturbances (blurred and red/greencolour disturbance). If you notice this, please stop takingyour TB tablets and inform your doctor or nurseimmediately. Your doctor or nurse will arrange for you tohave an eye test prior to starting these TB drugs.
§ Nausea (feeling sick) is a common side effect to most TBdrugs. However, if you are actually vomiting (being
400mg 100mg 150mg 300mg
Drugs 2_5_Rifaterƒ 25/04/2013 17:53 Page 2
