Treatments

TB treatment takes much longer than treating other types of bacterial infections.

Patients have to take antibiotics for at least six to nine months. The length of the treatment depends on the age, general health, the form of TB (latent or active) the patients have and also where the infection is located in the body.

Patients with latent tuberculosis need to take just one type of TB drug. They do not have symptoms, and they cannot spread TB bacteria to others.

Medications that are used for treatment:

Isoniazid
Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
Ethambutol (Myambutol)
Pyrazinamide

People with active tuberculosis (drug-resistant TB) will require several drugs at once.

They have to take a combination of antibiotics (fluoroquinolones) and injectable medications (Amikacin, Kanamycin). These medications are generally used for 20 to 30 months.

Common TB drugs

Other drugs used are: Bedaquiline, Delamanid, PA-824, Linezolid and Sutezolid

It is essential to finish the full course of therapy as some of the bacteria that are still alive and that can lead to TB that is much more dangerous and difficult to treat.