I. How to achieve medication adherence?
1. In order to avoid missing medication, we advocate that each medication be taken under the direct supervision of a supervisor, who will watch the medication being taken. (Supervisors include doctors, family members and volunteers.)
2.You can put your medication in an obvious place where you can easily see it, such as next to a glass of water, or you can set an alarm clock to remind yourself.
3. You should remember the time to pick up your medication to avoid any interruptions.
4. If you find it difficult to swallow these medicines in one gulp, you can take them in several bites or after meals, so that your stomach will be more comfortable.
How can I take my medication while I am away?
1.If you need to go out for a short time, you should inform your doctor and bring enough medicine to run the problem.
2.If you change your place of residence, you should inform your doctor and let him/her help you contact the conjunctive prevention institution of the place you are going to so that you can continue your treatment.
3.What are the dangers of taking medication irregularly?
Missing or intermittent doses of medication may lead to drug resistance or death. Drug-resistant tuberculosis has a long treatment period, is difficult to cure, and costs more than 10 times as much to treat as regular tuberculosis. It can also be transmitted to family members or others, and once the infected person develops drug-resistant TB, he or she will also have drug-resistant TB.
Doctors remind: if you don’t listen to your doctor, the consequences will be very serious!
When do I need to be reviewed during treatment?
A review during treatment is important to determine the effectiveness of your treatment and whether you need to adjust your treatment plan. Doctors will differentiate you into primary or secondary patients according to the treatment situation, and the time of review is different between the two: primary patients will send sputum for review when they have been taking medication for 2, 5 or 6 months; secondary patients will send sputum for review when they have been taking medication for 2, 5 or 8 months.
V. How to properly retain sputum specimens needed for the review year?
The correct way to retain sputum is to gargle, take two deep breaths and cough up sputum from deep in the lungs with force.
Patients with tuberculosis for review should collect two specimens each time, night sputum and early morning sputum: night sputum is the sputum coughed up by the patient in the evening the day before sending sputum for examination; early morning sputum is the second and third sputum coughed up by the patient immediately after gargling with water in the morning.
VI. What adverse reactions will occur after taking the drug? How to deal with them?
Possible adverse reactions after taking the drug include gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea, skin itching, joint pain, numbness of hands and feet. Severe vomiting, blurred vision, skin rash, hearing loss, etc. may occur.
Doctors remind: In case of any of the above, you should contact your doctor in time for proper treatment. Please do not stop the medication or change your treatment plan arbitrarily, as this will directly affect the effectiveness of your treatment. Also please remember that it is normal for your urine to turn red after taking rifampicin.
7. How to store the medicine?
All anti-tuberculosis drugs should be stored in a ventilated, dry place out of the reach of children.
What should I pay attention to in my life and living?
1. Develop good hygiene habits to avoid infecting others.
When tuberculosis patients have sputum, they must spit it out and not swallow it. Do not spit anywhere, but spit in paper and burn it, or spit in a spittoon with disinfectant solution. Speak loudly and cover your mouth and nose when coughing, and do not point it at others. Go to public places as little as possible during the infectious period, and wear a mask when you go. It is best to have a separate bedroom with plenty of light, and windows should be opened frequently for ventilation. Most children with tuberculosis are infected by family members, so special attention should be paid to protecting children.
2, quit smoking and alcohol.
Patients with tuberculosis should quit smoking. Smoking will aggravate the cough, coughing, hemoptysis and other symptoms, a large amount of hemoptysis can be life-threatening. Alcohol should also be banned. Because most of the anti-tuberculosis drugs are metabolized by the liver, and there are varying degrees of damage to the liver, drinking alcohol will increase the burden on the liver, which may cause hemoptysis.
3, pay attention to rest, strengthen nutrition, appropriate exercise, avoid heavy physical labor.
Should eat more high-protein food and green leafy vegetables, fruits and mixed grains and other foods rich in vitamins and inorganic salts.
Doctor’s reminder: no need to avoid eating, less too spicy food on the line.
How can I adjust my mind?
When you are diagnosed with tuberculosis, you may be very shocked, fearful and worried, which are normal reactions. However, most cases of tuberculosis can be cured because you should have confidence and actively cooperate with your doctor.
Life and work will be affected after the disease, but do not let yourself be immersed in worry and pain for a long time, so do what you can to distract yourself with meaningful activities. For example, plant flowers, fish, read books and learn to entertain yourself.
Family members or friends may distance themselves from you after the disease, but they are distancing themselves from the TB disease, not you, so you should learn to understand this behavior properly. However, family members and friends should not alienate the patient either. The more you care for them, the faster they will get better. Tuberculosis patients will become less contagious after 2-3 weeks of regular treatment, and will not be contagious after the sputum smear turns negative.