Experience Side Effects? TB Patients Asked to Keep Taking Medicine

JAKARTA - Tuberculosis (TB) patients often face challenges during therapy, especially when side effects of drugs such as nausea or pain occur. However, treatment should not be stopped without medical guidance because the success of therapy depends heavily on the discipline of taking medication as recommended.

Titi Sundari, Sp.P(K), FISR, a pulmonary specialist at Prof. Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital, emphasized that TB patients must continue to take medication even if they experience mild side effects. Stopping the medication unilaterally risks causing TB germs to become immune or resistant to treatment.

"If there are complaints or there are side effects of the drug, please do not stop it immediately, especially if you do not want to take the medicine anymore. Remember that not all side effects are severe," said Dr. Titi as quoted by ANTARA.

He explained that mild complaints such as joint pain, tingling, nausea, or itching can still be handled and are not always a reason to stop therapy. Patients are advised to consult a doctor to get the right treatment for these symptoms.

However, if a more serious reaction such as widespread rash occurs, the condition needs to be evaluated immediately by medical personnel to determine whether the complaint is actually caused by TB drugs or other factors, including the food consumed.

Regarding the time to take medication, dr. Titi advised patients to consider taking medication at night before going to bed to reduce discomfort.

"The pattern of drinking becomes at night before going to bed, people are sleepy, they don't feel anything. Well, that's not going to complain about nausea anymore," he said.

Even so, patients need to be alert if they experience severe symptoms such as severe nausea, constant vomiting, or a change in the color of the eyes to yellow. These conditions can indicate organ dysfunction and require immediate examination at the nearest health facility.

Compliance in undergoing TB therapy is the key to the success of treatment as well as preventing the emergence of drug resistance which can prolong and complicate the healing process.