TB!!!!

Posted , 5 users are following.

So was supposed to start my cimzia, bt when I got to the hospital. They found all my other blood tests results bt not the one for TB. I definitely had it taken last month. My nurse rang around various labs hoping to find out the results. In the end the lady whom she spoke to first over the phone said I had a positive TB test. So now being for chest xray and another consultant appt whom will prescribe me antibiotics. I do not work and have not been in anyone with TB, so how come I have caught this!!!

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Posted

    I am so sorry to hear that you had a positive TB test and that they had trouble tracking down the results.  I know that my labs were done at 3 different labs and the TB test was done all by itself at a distant lab

      You can have what I believe they call 'latent  TB cells'  in your body without having any symptoms of TB and not ever have a confirmed diagnosis.  But once we start on these meds that lower our resistence to certain diseases then we can be positive for TB .  I am not sure you were taking any ohter med before you were to start cimzia

       But best of luck    there are many good drugs for TB today  so you will start on one of them and down the road you will be given Cimzia or another  drug for RA   

    • Posted

      I'm taking hydroxycholoquine and self injecting methotrexate. Will I have to be on antibiotics for long before TB disappears?? Thanks

  • Posted

    Hi

    I was diagnosed positive latent TB. Which is most probably what you have. You will be given antibiotics for three months. Some of the biologicals can activate TB. That is why you need to treat the tb first. Good luck

    • Posted

      That is a loooong time to be on antibiotics. How did you react to that? I am thinking of the flora and fauna in the gut.
    • Posted

      Hi Timothy

      These are not the normal antibiotics. It was a 12 week course of Rifampicin and Isoniazid (Rifinah 300/150). But my gut is ok and blood test is normal. So no problem

    • Posted

      Do the antibiotics kill everything as far as the latency?  But won't you still test positive  because of the antibodies you will always have in your blood from exposure to TB.  I'd never heard of the antibiotics you are taking.  Will you still be able to go on the biologics once the course of antibiotics is complete?

    • Posted

      Yes I am able to go on biologicals now as it won't react but I will always be positive.

  • Posted

    It can happen that you were exposed to it because someone you were near had it.  It doesn't mean you HAVE it, The test shows you have antibodies against it from unknown exposure at some point.   A negative means a person has never been around anyone infectious.  The problem is once you;ve had esposure, biologicals can actually activate it into an actual case of TB.  Have them repeat it to be sure of the true result so as to be sure their result isn't in error, since there seemed to be a problem with them finding your result.  You look at the site where they injected it and you would see something like redness or swelling for there to be a positive, unless they are doing the test differently these days.

    • Posted

      they did do a different actual blood test for my check of positive or neg for TB.   I know the other test you are talking about though where they need to check the skin in about 48 hrs after the inner arm is injected and then assessed for redness and swelling which would indicate a positive for  TB exposure.     My blood test was expensive--over $300 for that one test / with insurance I was billed $79      I have had positive skin tests in the past--over 15 yrs ago so that could be the reason the MD went with this more expensive blood test
    • Posted

      I am going to ask if I can have the test repeated, to put mind at ease. I just had a normal blood test, bottles were marked up, bt I did have a letter from my consultant to phlebotomy depth.

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