Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

DOTS (directly-observed therapy, short-course) means that the patient taking the medicine should be observed by a nominated person, and the taking of the medicine should be recorded. This ensures that the patient takes the medication regularly, which is essential for the medicines to be effective – and to prevent the bacteria from becoming resistant and the drug from becoming ineffective. The best way to remember to take medicines is to get directly-observed therapy. If following the DOTS regimen, the patient will meet with a health care worker every day or several times a week. This can be at the TB clinic, your home or work, or any other convenient location. You will take your medicines at this place while the health care worker observes. DOTS helps in several ways. The health care worker can help the TB patient remember to take the medicines and complete the treatment. This means he/she will get well as soon as possible. The health care worker will make sure that the medicines are working as they should. This person will also watch for side-effects and answer questions about TB. The TB patient must be checked at different times to make sure everything is going well. He/she should see their doctor or nurse regularly while taking the medicines. This will continue until the patient is cured.

Tuberculosis is usually treated through the use of a combination of several drugs called antibiotics to kill all the bacteria and preventing them from becoming resistant to one or more drugs. The most common drugs used to fight TB are:

• isoniazid
• rifampin
• pyrazinamide
• ethambutol
• streptomycin

The medication is administered to the patient for at least 6 months as per the advice of the doctor. People with TB of the lungs should initially stay home from work or school so that they do not spread TB bacteria to other people. After taking TB drugs for 2 weeks, they will feel better and may not be infectious to others. However, to be completely cured they would need to take the drugs as prescribed for at least 6–8 months.

Sometimes patients stop taking TB medicines on their own before the entire course is completed. However, if the patient does not complete the course of the treatment of TB, it can become harder or impossible to cure the person can stay sick for a longer time the medicines can stop working, and the person may have to take different medicines that have more side effects even the new medicines may not cure the TB TB germs can be passed on to others. TB bacteria die very slowly. It takes at least 6 months to kill all the TB bacteria. People start feeling well after only a few weeks of treatment. But TB bacteria are still alive in the body. That is why it is important to continue to take the medicine until all the TB bacteria are dead, even though the person may feel better and no longer have symptoms of TB disease. If a person with TB disease stops taking his/her prescribed medicines when they feel better, or are not regular in taking the medicines, TB bacteria will grow again. The person will become sick again because the bacteria may become resistant to the drugs he or she was taking. When this happens he/she may need different drugs to kill the TB bacteria if the old drugs no longer work. These new drugs need to be taken for a longer time and usually have more serious side-effects. If a patient on TB treatment becomes infectious again, he/she could spread TB bacteria to their family, friends, or anyone else who spends time with them. It is thus very important to finish the course of medication as per the doctor’s advice. TB patients should talk to their health-care provider if their TB medicine is making them feel sick. Any medicine can cause side-effects, including TB pills. But most people can take their TB medicine without any problems.