According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tuberculosis affects one-third of the world's population with nine million people becoming sick each year. Some of the drugs that treat tuberculosis deplete the body of pyridoxine. Pyridoxine, a form of vitamin B6, does not treat tuberculosis. However, the depleted levels of pyridoxine may cause additional signs and symptoms.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, or TB, is caused from a bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB usually affects the lungs, but can affect other parts of the body or organs. To get the infection a person must breathe air that contains the Mycobacterium. It is possible to get the disease and not become sick. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, people who have latent TB infection do not get sick and do not spread the bacteria to others. However, some people with latent TB infection eventually do get TB disease. Coughing up bloody sputum is a main symptom of the disease.
Treatment
The most common treatment for a latent infection with TB is a drug called isoniazid (INH) for nine months. An active infection requires a longer treatment period and additional medications. INH kills the TB bacteria and prevents the disease from occurring in persons with a latent infection. The medications must be taken exactly as directed and for the period prescribed. Noncompliance causes the disease to come back and makes the disease more drug resistant.
Isoniazid
Isoniazid is metabolized in the liver and can cause severe hepatitis. Liver enzymes usually go up during the first month of treatment and level off throughout the use of the drug. People with prior liver disease may be at an increased risk. Isoniazid can cause a pyridoxine (vitamin B6) deficiency that can lead to peripheral neuropathy. Individuals who are immunodeficient are at an increased risk of pyridoxine deficiency.
Pyridoxine
Pyridoxine is one of the chemical forms of the water-soluble vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is used in the body to utilize energy in foods, maintain normal function of the nerves and form red blood cells. It aids in the breakdown of protein in the body. A deficiency can cause dermatitis, glossitis, depression, confusion and convulsions, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Solution
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in persons with conditions in which neuropathy is common, such as diabetes, uremia, alcoholism, malnutrition and HIV infection, pyridoxine should be given with isoniazid. Neuropathy is numbness and pain in the hands or feet caused by nerve damage. As with starting any new treatments, consult your doctor first.
References
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: Tuberculosis
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Treatment
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Targeted Tuberculin Testing and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infectio
- National Institutes of Health: Vitamin B6
- MayoClinic.com: Peripheral neuropathy
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tuberculosis (TB): Data and Statistics
