What are some medications for tuberculosis?

Answer 1

Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Mycobacterium bovis. The bacteria invades the alveoli of the lungs where it hides in the macrophages that help clean pathogens out of the lungs. Once in the macrophages, the bacteria is very resistent to treatment, which usually consists of multi-drug regimes for months.

The current protocol consists of the following: Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol for two months then just Isoniazid and Rifampicin for a further four months.

However, Mycobacterium is evolving to be resistent to these drugs, and some people have forms of tuberculosis that cannot be treated with medications at all. This is an emerging world-wide public health problem.

Answer 2

Multidrug-resistant TB(tuberculous) is TB that is resistant to at least two of the best anti-TB drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin. Extensively drug resistant TB is very rare. This TB is resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin, plus resistant to any fluoroquinolone and at least one of three injectable second-line drugs (i.e., amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin).

Answer 3

The two antibiotics most commonly used are rifampicin and isoniazid. Latent Tuberculosis treatment usually uses a single antibiotic, while active TB disease is best treated with combinations of several antibiotics, to reduce the risk of the bacteria developing antibiotic resistance.

Answer 4

* Isoniazid * Rifampin (one brand name: Rifadin) * Ethambutol (brand name: Myambutol) * Pyrazinamide

Answer 5

Streptomycin (given as a shot in a muscle) and gentamicin (given as either a shot in a muscle or through a needle in the vein) are both used to treat tularemia.