INH antibiotics for Latent TB

[Swood34]

Hello all,

I'm new to Whole30--starting tomorrow in fact. Just did the big grocery store stock up and I'm excited! However, last week the skin test results for TB came back positive and even though my chest X-ray was clear, the doc wants me to start INH for latent TB. I don't know much about these antibiotics, except that you have to take them for 9 months and monitor your liver pretty closely as t can cause liver damage (fun stuff I know). I was interested to hear if anyone else has done the whole 30 while taking INH antibiotics and any recommendations he or she might have.

Thanks!

Sarah

[MrsStick]

I did my W30 on INH as well. I was almost done with the INH at that point (only two more months left out of the 9 month treatment). It really wasn't a problem for me because most of the "avoid these foods" list was things that I wouldn't be eating anyways on a Whole 30 (like cheeses). 

 

Did your doctor prescribe you B6 as well as the INH? If not, you should ask. INH interferes with absorption of B6, and a deficiency in B6 from INH can cause weird side effects like the feeling that insects are burrowing under the skin of your extremities. I spent about a week stomping my feet all the time before going back to the doctor to see why. Random sudden joint pain (lasting no more than half an hour or so at a time) was somewhat helped by the B6, but not completely. I once limped after about 50m of sprinting because my ankle felt like I fell out of a tree onto it at the start of my INH treatment; the B6 kept it down to just achy joints randomly (oh, my knee/ankle/hip hurts vs. I'm going to die).

[Swood34]

Thanks! My doc did prescribe B6 as well, but that sucks about the joint pain. I usually have that and was hoping to see if the Whole30 diet was going to help that out. Oh well, all more reason to do it again later.....after 9 months I suppose! 9 months of antibiotics really sounds awful. Can I ask how you discovered you had latent TB as well? I only had a positive skin test, but am considering getting the blood test as well in hopes to avoid antibiotics. 

[MrsStick]

I had a positive skin test (actually, I had two). The first skin test somehow fell out of my medical records, so when the time came for the second, they made me take it even though I knew I would react. Don't ever do that - the area was swollen and REALLY painful to the touch. Long sleeve shirts were torture, and anything pressing on the area (like laying your head on your arm) was excruciating.

 

The chest X-ray was obviously fine, and I actually had to tell the doctor that I wasn't getting the skin test I was supposed to - she looked in my records, saw the past test result, and no test for me (hubby still had to get it though, ha!).