Ethambutol
About Ethambutol
Ethambutol is used to treat and prevent tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs and can even spread to other body parts like the brain, and spine. Ethambutol treats only bacterial infections and does not work for viral infections (like common cold or flu).
Ethambutol contains 'Ethambutol' that destroys the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, causing lung infection known as Tuberculosis (TB).
Follow the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Take this Ethambutol with or without food, preferably at the same time every day. Finish the full course of treatment, and do not skip any doses even if you start feeling good. Discontinuing its use on your own can result in treatment failure and in the development of drug-resistant tuberculosis, which can lead to serious health complications. If you miss a dose, take it at the earliest. However, do not take double doses or overdose to fulfil missed doses as it may increase the side effects. Some people may experience changes in vision and colour blindness as side effects of this medicine. Please speak with your doctor if these side effects do not resolve or worsen. It is advised to take antacids containing aluminium at least 4 hours before or after taking Ethambutol to avoid drug interaction.
Inform your doctor if you have pre-existing conditions like diabetes, as it can decrease the sugar levels in the blood. Diabetic patients should monitor blood sugar levels regularly. Proper functioning of the eyes, liver and thyroid should be closely monitored while taking treatment with Ethambutol. So, before using Ethambutol, tell your doctor if you have eye problems (like diabetic retinopathy, optic neuritis, cataracts), liver disease, or kidney disease.
Uses of Ethambutol
Medicinal Benefits
Ethambutol is used to treat tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs but can spread to other parts of the body like the brain and spine. It destroys the growth of infection-causing bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis and helps in reducing the infection. Your symptoms may improve before the infection is the completion of the entire course of treatment. So not stop using it without speaking and informing your doctor, as doing so may cause the infection to return or worsen. Adhere to your doctor’s instructions carefully to get maximum benefit.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Ethambutol
Nausea
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Headaches
Dizziness
Confusion
Drug Warnings
You should stop using the medicine and call your doctor immediately if you develop any vision problems like blurred vision, colour blindness or any kidney problems like decreased amount of urine and swelling of your legs and feet. You may even develop nausea, vomiting and yellowish colour of skin and eyes. Notice all these symptoms carefully and consult your doctor immediately. Ethambutol can alter your blood sugar levels, so if you have diabetes, monitor your blood sugar levels regularly. Your doctor may monitor your liver function, vision and thyroid function while on treatment with this medicine. Avoid consumption of alcohol while taking this medication, as it can lead to dizziness or drowsiness. Please do not stop taking Ethambutol on your own, as it can fail the treatment and your medicine will not show its proper effect.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Ethambutol may have interaction with antacid medicine (aluminium hydroxide) and anti TB drug (isoniazid).
Drug-Food Interactions: No food interaction found.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Use with caution in patients with eye problems (cataract, diabetic retinopathy), liver problems, and gout disease (increased uric acid).
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeAvoid consuming alcohol along with Ethambutol as it can lead to liver injury.
Pregnancy
safe if prescribedYour doctor will calculate the potential risks to benefit ratio before prescribing it to you. Please consult your doctor if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
Breast Feeding
safe if prescribedEthambutol is safe to use during breastfeeding. Human studies suggest that a significant amount of drug does not pass into breast milk and is therefore not harmful to the baby.
Driving
unsafeEthambutol may cause side effects impairing your ability to drive. It occasionally causes sight problems and tingling or numbness in the hand or feet. After taking this medicine, you should not drive to ensure safety.
Liver
cautionEthambutol is used with caution in patients with liver disease. Dose adjustment may be needed. Please consult your doctor.
Kidney
cautionEthambutol is used with caution in patients with kidney disease. Dose adjustment may be needed. Please consult your doctor.
Children
safe if prescribedEthambutol is recommended for treatment in children under 12 years of age who are infected with tuberculosis. The initial dose would be high for the first two months, and the next dose may be reduced if necessary depending on the child's response to the Ethambutol treatment.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
Under nutrition weakens the body's ability to fight tuberculosis and may also worsen the disease. Therefore, patients with tuberculosis should aim for a healthy balanced diet. It is achieved by consuming basic foods like cereals, millets, pulses, vegetables and fruits, milk products, meat, eggs and fish.
Vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables and fruits are rich in antioxidants and minerals, so they should be a part of a daily diet.
TB is a contagious disease, so the patient should be extra careful while contacting other people during the infection.
The Health and hygiene of patients with TB should be maintained.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Tuberculosis (TB): Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that affects the lungs, but it can also spread to other body parts such as the kidneys, brain, spine, and bone marrow. Tuberculosis is caused by a bacteria named Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is a contagious disease which can spread to others through small droplets released into the air by a person suffering from tuberculosis. Symptoms include a cough that lasts for a few weeks, pain while coughing or with normal breathing, unexplained fatigue, fever, night sweats, and loss of appetite and weight. People who smoke or consume alcohol, people diagnosed with HIV, and immune system problems are more likely at risk of developing active TB.
FAQs
Ethambutol is used to treat and prevent tuberculosis (TB)
Ethambutol contains 'Ethambutol' that works by destroying the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, causing lung infection known as Tuberculosis (TB).
No, it would help if you did not take a double dose or extra dose to make up the missed one. Taking an extra dose can cause unpleasant side effects and lead to toxicity.
Yes, Ethambutol treatment can be for more than two months based on your medical condition. After two months, if the investigations show that the bacteria are still active, then its usage may be extended for one more month.
Yes, your body may stop reacting to the antibiotic, and you may become resistant to other anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs. In this case, you should take this Ethambutol with other TB drugs for which you are not drug-resistant.
Yes, Ethambutol is used as both the first and second line of treatment for tuberculosis. So, if you get tuberculosis for the second time it works by killing the harmful bacteria; however, the dose adjustments are made by your doctor accordingly.
No, you should tell the doctor before taking Ethambutol if you have eye problems (like diabetic retinopathy, optic neuritis, cataracts). Using Ethambutol in the eye conditions might get worsen and can lead to even vision loss.
Yes, it is necessary to take other medications with Ethambutol for tuberculosis if prescribed by the doctor. These additional medications help to eliminate the bacteria more effectively and also reduce the risk of developing drug resistance, ensuring the treatment is successful.
No, there is no single medicine that can cure tuberculosis with just one dose. TB treatment requires a combination of medications taken over a prescribed duration of time to kill the bacteria fully and prevent resistance. Always follow the full treatment plan prescribed by the doctor for a complete cure.
Ethambutol has a half-life of approximately 3.3 hours in patients with normal kidney function. However, due to the reduced clearance rate from the body, the half-life can extend to 7 hours or longer in individuals with renal failure.
If your child vomited within 30 minutes of taking Ethambutol, give the same dose again as the medication may not have been absorbed.
Drug resistance is the ability of microorganisms, like fungi, bacteria, viruses, or parasites, to resist the effects of drugs that once killed or inhibited them. It develops when these organisms mutate or acquire resistance genes, often due to overuse or misuse of medications. As a result, infections become harder to treat, requiring stronger or alternative treatments.
Yes, you may develop resistance to Ethambutol, if Ethambutol is not taken correctly, such as missing doses or stopping treatment early. This can lead to multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), making the infection harder to treat. Therefore, take Ethambutol for the dose and duration prescribed by the doctor to treat the condition effectively.
Ethambutol can be taken for more than two months if advised by the doctor based on your medical condition. After two months, if the investigations show that the bacteria are still active, then the doctor may extend its usage for one more month. Consult the doctor if you have any concerns.
You should stop taking Ethambutol if you experience any of the following warning signs like colour blindness, blurred vision or any kidney problems like decreased amount of urine and swelling of your legs and feet. Please consult the doctor immediately for further guidance.
The side effects of Ethambutol include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, confusion and loss of appetite. Consult the doctor if any of these symptoms persist or worsen.
