Rifampin and vitamin B-6 are both sometimes used during treatment for tuberculosis in children, but they typically are not prescribed together as the sole treatment. Instead, each may be part of a larger treatment regimen. The specific decision of which medicine to use should be made in consultation with your child’s doctor.
Tuberculosis in Children
According to the World Health Organization, more than 250,000 children contract tuberculosis every year. Most of these cases are in the developing world, but even in the U.S., tuberculosis may occur in children in certain, vulnerable demographic groups. Children who live with an adult who has tuberculosis are particularly at risk. A skin test or chest x-ray can help diagnose latent or active tuberculosis and give a doctor more information for an appropriate course of treatment. Children with tuberculosis typically present with a cough that lasts for three weeks or more and may experience weight loss or a failure to gain weight appropriately. It can progress to life-threatening pulmonary infection or meningitis if left untreated.
Rifampin
Rifampin is not usually the first choice of drug for treating tuberculosis in children. Isoniazid is usually the preferred drug, although some doctors prescribe a combination drug that contains both medications in one pill. Typical treatment with rifampin is a dose of 10 to 20 milligrams per kilogram of the child’s weight. This dose is taken once daily for four to six months.
Vitamin B-6
While rifampin can be used without supplemental vitamin B-6, a patient taking isoniazid or a combination drug containing both isoniazid and rifampin might require a supplement. This is because isoniazid can decrease the amount of vitamin B-6 in the body, causing a deficiency that leads to numbness and tingling in the limbs. Rifampin alone does not cause a depletion of vitamin B-6.
Considerations
If your child has been diagnosed with tuberculosis or is living with someone who has tuberculosis, follow your pediatrician's advice about the most appropriate treatment regimen. Your child's doctor may prescribe treatment even if the child does not yet have signs of the disease in an attempt to prevent it from developing. It is also important to treat all members of the household if a child is diagnosed with tuberculosis, since anyone who is not treated can reinfect the child after the disease is cleared out of the child’s system.
Member Comments