Myambutol

Myambutol is a prescription medication used to treat tuberculosis (TB). Myambutol belongs to a group of drugs called antimycobacterial antibiotics. TB is caused by a certain bacteria. Myambutol works by stopping the bacteria from forming a cell wall, which kills the bacteria.

Myambutol is a prescription medication used for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. It is usually given in combination with other tuberculosis drugs, such as isoniazid, rifampicin and pyrazinamide.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Take Myambutol exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. The dosage must be individualized. The dosage is based on your age, weight, medical condition, and response to treatment.

Do not take Myambutol if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.

Because this medication may have adverse effects on vision, talk to your doctor if you have eye problems such as optic neuritis, cataracts, or diabetic retinopathy.

Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease as your doctor may need to decrease the dose you take.

Common side effects include:

• loss of appetite
• upset stomach
• vomiting
• numbness and tingling in the hands or feet

Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms worsen or do not go away.

If you experience vision changes (blurred vision, decreased vision, or color blindness) contact your doctor immediately.

Other less common, but serious side effects can occur. Let your doctor know if you develop:

• symptoms of liver disease (yellowing eyes and skin, dark urine, persistent nausea and vomiting, unusual tiredness and weakness, severe stomach pain),
• numbness and tingling of arms and legs
• toe or joint pain
• mental or mood disorders (confusion, hallucinations) 
• signs of a new infection (fever, sore throat)
• abnormal bleeding or bruising.
• serious allergic reaction (rash, swelling of face, tongue and throat, itching, difficult breathing)

This is not a complete list of Myambutol side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take aluminum-containing antacids. Oral absorption of Myambutol may be reduced by these products.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Myambutol falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans, though. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Myambutol has been detected in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from Myambutol, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of this medication. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered.

Talk to your doctor if you start to have eye problems such as blurred vision, decreased vision, or color blindness.

If you take aluminum-containing antacids, take this Myambutol at least 4 hours before the antacid.

Take all medication doses until finished.