Hi everyone! I’m a doctor with an interest in pulmonary medicine.I thought it might be helpful to start a thread where people can ask general questions about Tuberculosis . I will try to answer with educational information only.
Feel free to ask anything you’re curious about!
Hi, 27F, currently resigned and nagpapre-employment medical kaso nagkafindings sa X-ray. My pulmonologist requested to do lab test such as geneXpert and sputum AFB. After 4days, results came and it says "MTB NOT DETECTED, No Acid-Fast Bacilli seen." Went back to my pulmo and niresetahan ako ng fixcom4 and vibee (vitamin B).
I dont have any symptoms right now, I also asked the doctor if pwede ako umuwi ng province kasi natatakot ako harapin ang side effects ng mag-isa cos i'm living alone in Manila. She said na pwede naman umuwi but i need to isolate.
Now, pending status ako sa work kasi wala pa akong fit-to-work clearance. After 2weeks pa ako pwede bumalik sa Pulmo ko para sa work clearance. Has anyone here na nabigyan ng fit to work clearance after 2weeks?
I also wanted to ask people here who are taking fixcom4 kung ano mga side effects sainyo? i'm 44kg lang. Please help ur girly out. Never thought na magkakaron ako nito hayys.
Guys I'm cured of PTB
Lungs are perfectly clear, spirometry is fine, sputum negative and everything seems ok
But I still feel weakness and some fatigue at times, I'm guessing it's because my body has been fighting for long time (6months) and is recovering
WHEN DO I SEE IMPROVEMENTS AFTER STOPPING MY MEDS? AFTER A WEEK? MONTH? ETC
I FINISHED MY TREATMENT TODAY. I AM HEALTHY NOW. I AM SO HAPPY I CANNOT STOP CRYING. FVCK TB.
If smear microscopy turns out negative, we can get a culture test done for confirmation. But that takes several weeks for results. Are there any alternatives to detecting TB disease when bacterial loads do not meet the positivity threshold in smear microscopy?
I started my mdr lymph node tb treatment on 11th april and now within a month of starting treating, I feel extremely weak. I don't feel any energy in my legs, both of my feet pains when I stand, mental confusion on peak, mood swings, depression and insomnia.
I am taking good diet despite of that I am facing these issues. Also, I noticed some black spots on my tongue also know as black hairy tongue.
Hi everyone,
I’m currently being treated for Tuberculosis and my doctor recently adjusted my medicines. One of the medicines added is Pyrazinamide 1000 mg.
The doctor told me to take:
I followed the first 3 days correctly, but because I had some mild stomach upset / nausea one night, I got nervous and took 750 mg instead of 1000 mg for the next 4 days. Starting now, I’m back to the prescribed 1000 mg dose.
I’ll definitely inform my doctor, but I’m traveling soon and wanted to ask:
No serious symptoms so far only 7 days as competed—just that one episode of nausea/stomach upset.
Also before I was with R-cin 300 - now changed to R-cin 450, before Combutol 700 now its 800.
Hello, I just found out I have latent TB. I’m obviously scared. I’m going to talk to my doctor in a few days. Im not sure what to do. Is it worth taking the chemo antibiotics when it doesn’t even completely go away? I feel so lost.
Hello! Sorry for bad grammar ^^
I (21M) don't have any significant symptoms back then. Not until last week. I was preparing to sleep (1:00 AM) but when I lie down-- throat became itchy and I forced to cough. I don't know how to feel when I saw the blood in my phlegm and continues to cough for about 2-3 times. When I wake up morning, more blood came from my cough and some exits in my nose.
After that, we go to the clinic.
Got Chest X-Ray
Impression: Consider PTB. Left upper lobe.
In that whole day, I remember coughing blood for 6x. And as I surfed the internet, it said that it was dangerous to cough blood frequently. Tbh, during that day I don't really know how to feel. Like a film that keeps rolling on, anticipating what will happen next.
The doctor prescribed me tranexamic acid to somehow alleviate the bleeding. And it did managed to stop for a while (I do coughed up some blood in the phlegm but not an episode one like my first encounter). But now, the another episode almost happen again. I lay down to sleep with my left body and stacked 2 pillows for elevation. But after seconds, I have an uneasy feeling that flows from my chest. I immediately stand up and tasted some metallic rusty aftertaste. I cough some but no blood-- but I heard raspy/hoarse sound when I breathe.
-- The doctor prescribed me the TB medications a while ago since I haven't produce sputum for sputum test. In my case, since I was clinically diagnosed with PTB. He advised me to take it even if I haven't done sputum test.
---- I don't really know how to feel. I kept getting fed with negative thoughts especially on the blood cough thing. I am afraid that my lungs will collapsed soon, and never recover from the damage.
+-+-+-+ Is there anyone who also have same case like me? Sudden blood coughing? No other symptoms. If yes, did you recover?
Thank you in advance!
Hi need advice I've been on leave for 2 mos diagnosed tb but no symptoms at all genexpert mtb detected very low, ano po ginawa niyo after 2 mos of treatment pinapasok napo ba kayo? Or naghanap nalang po kayo ng ibang work?
Hi!
Today I want to tell my story. It all started in October 2025 when I had a persistent cough and a strange fatigue.
At that time, I worked in customer service and thought it was just the workload and stress of that job.
Days passed, and I went to the health center myself, to the tuberculosis unit.
With fear and without knowing how this would change my life, I did it. I left my first sample, and the next day I went back to leave the second. Then, the nurse called me aside and said, "Wait! Are you [name]?" "Yes..." "You have TB." I felt like something inside me wanted to die, or the news was so shocking that I cried buckets, as if I had a premonition of everything that would happen months later.
was one of the most stressful days of my life. I had to run around everywhere, and I didn't know what to feel or say. I was just like a zombie, doing what they asked me to do.
Until they told me what type of TB I have: MDR pulmonary TB.
Once again, a part of me was in shock. I had to talk and tell the people close to me what I had. It wasn't easy because I had to give explanations and process the reactions. They weren't always the best, but some were.
Initially, I was supposed to have a six-month treatment, but I had a skin allergy.
It was so severe that I went to the emergency room three times. I spent entire days without sleeping because of the allergy.
This text is turning into a giant sheet of paper.
Little by little, I lost things, now I see them as losses, though I don't know if that's the case... My job, my health, keeping quiet about friends, my income.
Carrying the weight of a relationship—if you can even call it that—that wasn't very healthy or sincere.
The point of all this is that this disease shook everything, from the time I thought I was recovering to the bonds I considered important to me. I still have some questions about why all of this is happening.
I know there are people who experience more serious physical ailments or complications from this illness.
And now I'm here, sharing a little of what I went through and am still going through because I'm still in treatment, after an initial failed attempt.
My treatment started on February 28th, and I've been on medication for almost two and a half months now. During this time, I've gone through some complicated emotional situations that I'm still healing from.
I'm writing this so that if anyone is going through a similar situation to mine, you're not alone on this journey.
I know it's not easy taking such a large number of pills or dealing with the side effects they produce. It's difficult, and there are probably people who don't fully understand what you're going through because they don't live with you or see you regularly, because they simply aren't you.
However, you are not alone <3
Remember that every day when you wake up, at dawn and dusk.
I even thought that myself, but I believe there's a future where we're needed and where we're indispensable. It's just that right now everything isn't so clear. Perhaps one day we'll talk about this without feeling shame or tears in our eyes.
Surround yourself with positive people, with connections that truly nourish you. Or maybe you think you don't have someone like that in your life, but from here I'm sending you a big, long, and above all, sincere hug.
I hope that all of us going through this stage emerge healthy and comforted, that it becomes just another experience in our lives, and that we can breathe without any pain. I'm sharing this anecdote so you can find a little strength in these lines and see that there are people who wish you a speedy recovery and hope you shine again. Perhaps these words will also give me the strength I often need.
P.S. This text was written with the help of a translator. If you see any spelling mistakes, just ignore them.
P.S. 2: It might sound cheesy, don't judge me.
Now i only have to take TB medicines on mon,wed,fri. can I drink beer on Thursday or sat? just 1 can !
I just finished my 2nd month. The meds are causing severe anxiety and dissociation and vision issues. The doctor told me the intensive phase will be of 3 months. I took the second opinion the other doctor told me to take the 4 meds for 2 months. What should I do. The more I’m taking the more meds it is giving me mental issues.. what should I do…?
Hi all, question Lang po. I'm still on my medication and about to finish my meds on June but unfortunately, I got infected with cough and colds. Wala naman akong ubo noon kahit may PTB ako pero dahil may isang Tao dito samin na nagkaroon ng ubo at sipon, nahawa na rin ako. Posible bang lumala ang PTB kapag nagkaroon ka ng ubo at sipon? Pansin ko rin kase parang bumababa na naman ung timbang ko, is it normal? May ganito rin bang nangyari sainyo? Salamat po sa sasagot.
God bless and Healing prayer for everyone 🙏