TB Clinic

(DO'S AND DON'TS)

The Right Diet for Tuberculosis

While the treatment of active tuberculosis is very long term – up to a year of daily antibiotics – you can help yourself feel better sooner and help your body fight off the disease by making sure you’re getting the right nutrition. Your body needs healthy nutrients now more than ever.

People who are malnourished or underweight are more likely to get tuberculosis and are also more susceptible to reinfection or relapse of TB after treatment. Malnutrition leads to decreased immunity, and your body needs to be as strong as possible to defend itself against those tough tuberculosis bacteria.

It’s a vicious cycle: Poor nutrition can actually encourage the persistence of active tuberculosis disease, and active tuberculosis leads to worsening malnutrition.So to keep your body primed to fight TB, you have to feed it right.

Getting Good Nutrition When You Have TB:

To give your body the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs to fight active tuberculosis and regain your strength and stamina, you need to eat a diet containing a variety of healthy foods, such as:

Leafy, dark-colored greens like kale and spinach, for their high iron and B-vitamin content
Plenty of whole grains, like whole wheat pastas, breads, and cereals
Antioxidant-rich, brightly-colored vegetables, such as carrots, peppers, and squash, and fruits, like tomatoes, blueberries, and cherries — think of buying produce in a full rainbow of colors
Unsaturated fats like vegetable or olive oil, instead of butter

What to Avoid When You Have Active Tuberculosis:

As is always the case for good health, there are certain foods you shouldn’t eat and substances you shouldn’t use.

Skip tobacco in all forms.
Don't drink alcohol — it can add to the risk of liver damage from some of the drugs used to treat your TB.
Limit coffee and other caffeinated drinks.
Limit refined products, like sugar, white breads, and white rice.
Avoid high-fat, high-cholesterol red meat and instead load up on leaner protein sources like poultry, beans, tofu, and fish.

Tell your doctor immediately if you experience illness or symptoms

It is important to tell your doctor or health care worker immediately if you experience any unexplained illness or the following symptoms:

No appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Yellowish skin or eyes
Fever for 3 or more days
Abdominal pain
Tingling in the fingers or toes
Pain in the lower chest or heart burn
Feeling itchy
Skin rash
Easy bruising
Bleeding from gums
Nose bleeding
Urine becomes dark or brown in color
Aching joints
Dizziness
Tingling or numbness around the mouth
Blurred or changed vision
Ringing in the ears
Hearing loss

Side effects of specific tuberculosis medications

The different medications used to treat tuberculosis are associated with specific side effects:

isoniazid
may make you feel tired or nauseous or make you lose your appetite. It can cause numbness or tingling in your hands or feet, but this is rare in well-nourished people. It can also cause inflammation of the liver, so your doctor will regularly check for this with blood tests
rifampicin
can reduce the effectiveness of the contraceptive pill and some other medications. It is important to advise the doctor who prescribes your TB treatment about any other medicines you are taking. Women taking the contraceptive pill may need to discuss other forms of contraception with their general practitioner or an advisor at a family planning clinic. If you have lens implants or wear soft contact lenses, inform your doctor, as rifampicin can stain them. Rifampicin will cause a pinkish/orange discolouration of your urine, saliva and sweat. This side effect is harmless so you should not be concerned
ethambutol
(Myambutol) – can cause visual problems. Your eyesight will be checked during treatment, but you should stop taking the medication if your vision is affected and call your doctor straight away
pyrazinamide
can lead to nausea and a loss of appetite. It is usually only taken for the first two to three months of treatment. Consult with your doctor if you develop unexplained rashes, fever, aches or joint pains.

Some things to note when taking TB medications

When taking tuberculosis medications, it is important to be aware of a few basic cautions:

Report any side effects to your doctor immediately.
Tell your TB doctor about any other medications you are taking.
Ensure you take the medication long enough to kill all of the tuberculosis bacteria – a minimum of six months.
Take your medications regularly and do not stop taking them, even when you feel better. Irregular use can lead to the tuberculosis bacteria becoming resistant to the medications.
Avoid drinking alcohol while on tuberculosis treatment. Alcohol can increase drug side effects and toxicity, because both can affect the liver.

SHAIVAM
CENTER FOR CHEST MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
WE ARE ALSO REGISTERED PT INFO TO GOVT FROM OUR CENTER