Q) My father is suffering from active tuberculosis, he is taking anti tuburcular drugs and he is feeling better but he got some skin disease according to our doctor it is due to adverse effects of anti tuburcular drugs. Doctor asked to stop the medicines for tuberculosis to find out which medicine is giving trouble and he treated the skin disease and he started the medicnes for TB now. I would like to know if this is the right way of approach.

A) Anti-tubercular treatment is a combination of more than one drugs, it may be 4-5 drugs or more. Some of the anti-tubercular drugs are known to cause skin problems. The course of action taken for such problems depends up on the extent and the severity. It can be judged by examining the patient. Whether to stop treatment or not, only a specialist should decide. Some time a brief stoppage of treatment may become inevitable.

 

Government of India runs the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP), it follows the principle of treatment given under direct observation. It is quite effective.

 

Tuberculosis, with modern drugs, is curable and one should complete the treatment. If treatment is not taken completely, the disease may reappear and/or resistant form of disease might develop. Whether it is stopped for a brief period, it must be completed for the stipulated period as your physician suggest.