Tuberculosis (TB) Treatment Specialist Q&A

Tuberculosis has three different stages that are classified as exposure, latent TB infection, and active disease.

With the first stage of tuberculosis, known as the exposure stage, a person is exposed to or comes into contact with another person who has TB. However, they have no signs or symptoms of tuberculosis at this stage, their chest X-ray is normal, and they have a negative skin test.

The second stage of tuberculosis, in which there is a latent TB infection, occurs when an individual has TB bacteria in their body but does not show any symptoms of TB, as their immune system protects itself from the TB organisms. For most people with a latent TB infection, the TB stays inactive throughout their life. However, they would have a positive skin or blood test and be considered TB carriers.

The third stage of tuberculosis, known as active TB, occurs when the latent TB bacteria wake up, so to speak. As a result, a person with active TB will have signs and symptoms of the disease and can pass on the infection to others. Common symptoms of active TB include the following:

• Appetite loss
• Chills
• Cough, sometimes producing blood or phlegm
• Fatigue and weakness
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Pain in the chest
• Weight loss

The good news is that tuberculosis is both curable and preventable! The treatment for TB involves the combination of at least three TB medications, as any fewer can result in drug-resistant TB. Patients are typically required to continue taking TB medications for at least six months. The medications that have the greatest activity and effectiveness against TB bacteria, known as the “First Line” drugs, are as follows:

• Ethambutol
• Isoniazid
• Pyrazinamide
• Rifampicin

With that being said, there are more than twenty available drugs for tuberculosis treatment. As such, the types of TB medications used in treatment vary according to the patient’s circumstances.

In most cases, the recovery period for tuberculosis is six to nine months of treatment, after which most individuals completely recover from TB without further evidence of the disease in their lungs. With that being said, TB can take up to two years to fully recover from in rare cases. As such, it is essential to take TB medication exactly as prescribed for their entire duration to make a complete recovery.

At Dr. Luis J. Mesa, MD, our pulmonary clinic can help with TB disease in several ways, including skin patch tests, blood tests, and treatment with various prescription TB medications. Dr. Mesa is board-certified in pulmonary medicine and has plenty of experience and expertise in dealing with TB disease. If you would like more information about how we can help with TB disease at Dr. Luis J. Mesa, MD, please feel free to contact us!

For an appointment with us at Dr. Luis J. Mesa, MD, for TB testing or treatment, we welcome you to call us or schedule an appointment with us right here on our website! We serve patients from Aventura FL, Surfside FL, Golden Glades FL, Andover FL, Miramar FL, Hollywood FL, West Park FL, and Miami Gardens FL.