HOW TO TAKE ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS () (ATT) MEDICINES PROPERLY

(Important instructions for patients)

🕖 WHEN TO TAKE

✔ Once daily, early morning

✔ Empty stomach

✔ Take medicines with plain water


⏰ Best method

Take tablets

Wait 1 hour

Then eat breakfast


❗ If morning is not possible:

Take medicines 2 hours after food



💊 WHICH MEDICINES (WITH DOSES)


Your TB medicines are prescribed based on your body weight:

Isoniazid (H)

(5 mg/kg/day; usual adult dose 300 mg; max 300 mg)

Rifampicin (R)

(10 mg/kg/day; usual adult dose 450–600 mg; max 600 mg)

Pyrazinamide (Z)

(20–25 mg/kg/day; usual adult dose 1000–2000 mg; max 2000 mg)

Ethambutol (E)

(15–20 mg/kg/day; usual adult dose 800–1200 mg; max 1600 mg)

Benadon / Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

(10–20 mg/day; up to 40–50 mg/day in high-risk patients)


👉 All TB tablets should be taken together at the same time every day

👉 Usually 4  TB tablets will be started and then decreased over a period of time to 2or 3 tablets. 




🍽️ FOOD & DRINK RULES


❌ Avoid

Alcohol (very important – damages liver)

Taking medicines immediately after food

Excess painkillers without doctor advice


⚠️ Maintain gap

Antacids, calcium, iron tablets → keep 2 hours gap



🔴 IMPORTANT MEDICINE ADVICE


Rifampicin

Urine, sweat, tears may turn orange-red

✔ This is normal

Oral contraceptive pills may not work → use alternate contraception



Isoniazid

Can cause tingling or numbness in hands or feet

✔ Prevented by Benadon (Vitamin B6)



Pyrazinamide

May increase uric acid levels

Can cause joint pains (toes, ankles, knees)


✔ Usually temporary and not true gout

❗ Inform your doctor if pain is severe or persistent

❌ Do not stop medicines on your own



Ethambutol

Rarely affects vision

❗ Report immediately if you have:

Blurred vision

Difficulty seeing red or green colors



🧠 BENADON (Vitamin B6)


✔ Prevents nerve damage

✔ Safe

✔ Take daily along with TB medicines



🚨 REPORT TO DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY IF YOU HAVE

Yellow eyes or skin

Severe vomiting or loss of appetite

Extreme weakness

Severe joint pain or swelling

Blurred vision or color vision problems

Severe tingling or numbness in hands or feet



❗ DO NOT


❌ Skip doses

❌ Stop medicines on your own

❌ Drink alcohol during treatment



✅ REMEMBER


✔ Same time every day

✔ Empty stomach

✔ Complete the full course even if you feel better


TB is completely curable when medicines are taken correctly.


Dr. Sudheer Kumar Pothu


MBBS, D Ortho, DNB (Ortho), FNB (Spine Surgery)

Consultant – Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon

Cygnet Super Speciality Clinics

📍 2nd Floor, Fairmount Fortune One,

Beside Erragadda Metro Station, Hyderabad – 500018

📞 93818 71989 | ✉️ drsudheer.orthospine@gmail.com


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