What is Ethionamide?
Ethionamide is an antibacterial.Ethionamide can be used to treat TB. Ethionamide should be taken in conjunction with other anti-tuberculosis drugs and not alone.Ethionamide can be used in other ways not mentioned in the medication guide.
Side effects of Ethionamide
If you experience any of the following symptoms of an allergic response, seek immediate medical attention: difficulty breathing, hives, swelling in your lips, face, throat, or tongue.
Ethionamide can cause severe side effects. If you experience:
- You may experience numbness or burning in the hands and feet.
- Confusion: unusual thoughts or behaviors
- Double vision, or blurred vision, is a sign of eye discomfort.
- A feeling of lightheadedness, as if you could pass out.
- Seizure (convulsions);
Jaundice, or yellowing of skin and eyes, is an acute medical condition characterized by yellowed skin and eyes.
Ethionamide can cause various side effects.
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
- Stomach pain and loss of appetite
- Increased salivation and metallic taste in the mouth
- Blisters or ulcers on your lips, swollen or red gums, and difficulty swallowing
- Headache, dizziness,
- Sleepiness; depressed mood.
There may be other side effects. For medical advice on side effects, call your doctor.Report side effects by calling the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Similar/related drugs
Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Levaquin, and Moxifloxacin
Warnings
If you suffer from severe liver diseases, you should avoid using ethionamide.
Before you take this drug
If you're allergic to ethionamide or have any of the following:
- Severe liver disease
Tell your doctor about any of the following to ensure that ethionamide will not harm you:
- Liver disease
- Vision problems
- Diabetes
- A thyroid condition.
FDA pregnancy category CThere is no information on whether or not ethionamide can harm an unborn child. If you plan to get pregnant or are already pregnant, tell your doctor.There is no way to know if ethionamide can pass into breast milk or harm nursing babies. You should tell your doctor that you're breastfeeding a child.This medicine should not be given to children without consulting a doctor.
How to take Ethionamide?
You will be tested by your doctor to ensure that you are not suffering from any conditions that would make it unsafe for you to use ethionamide.Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended on the label. Take this medication only as prescribed. Do not exceed the recommended dosage or take it for longer.Take ethionamide either with food or without.If you have a stomach upset, ethionamide can be taken along with food.Your liver and thyroid functions may require frequent testing. Also, you may need to have frequent eye exams.Check your blood glucose levels if you suffer from diabetes.You should take this medication for as long as prescribed. You may experience improvement in your symptoms before you have completely recovered from the virus. You may increase the risk of a second infection resistant to antibiotics if you skip doses. Ethionamide does not work on viruses such as the flu and common cough.Keep away from heat and moisture. Store at room temperature.
Details on dosage
Adult dose for tuberculosis: active
The initial dose is 250 mg orally twice a week for up to two weeks, followed by 250 mg orally three times per day. After this period, the dosage should be raised to 1000 mg orally, divided into 3–4 doses.
Maintenance dose: 500–1000 mg orally (OR 15-20 mg/kg/day).
Maximum dose: 1000 mg/day
Comments:
Patients with tuberculosis-susceptible strains may require additional drugs.
Patients with poor tolerance to gastrointestinal medications may receive maintenance doses divided into two or more doses.
The duration should depend on the clinical response, including bacterial conversion permanent and maximum clinical improvement.
Uses:
Treatment of active tuberculosis when Mycobacterium tb is resistant to isoniazid or rifampin
Treatment of active tuberculosis among patients with tuberculosis M when other medications are intolerable
The usual pediatric dose for tuberculosis is active.
Orally, 10–20 mg/kg in two to three divided doses (after meals).
Maximum dose: 1000 mg/day
Comments:
Patients with tuberculosis-susceptible strains may require additional drugs.
HIV Malabsorption Syndrome can occur when patients adhere to the treatment but do not respond appropriately. It may also be present in patients who have concurrent HIV infections. Drug monitoring is recommended for patients who have malabsorption syndrome.
The duration of the treatment is determined by the clinical response, including permanent conversion bacteriologically and maximum clinical improvement.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that patients who have meningitis due to M. tuberculosis receive a daily treatment of isoniazid, pyrazinamide, for two months. Patients with Mycoplasma bovis meningitis should be treated with isoniazid or rifampin every day for nine to twelve months.
Uses:
Treatment of active tuberculosis among patients resistant to rifampin or isoniazid
Treatment of active tuberculosis among patients with tuberculosis M when other medications are intolerable
What happens if I miss the dose?
As soon as possible, take the missed dose. If your next scheduled dosage is soon, do not take the missed one.You should not take more medicine to compensate for a missed dose.
What happens if I overdose?
Call 1-800-222-1222 for poison help or seek immediate medical attention.
What should be avoided?
Alcohol should not be consumed while on ethionamide.
Interaction with other drug
Other medications, such as vitamins and herbs, may also interact with ethionamide. Inform your healthcare providers of all the medicines that you are currently taking and those you plan to start using.
