Common Visual impairment, Color blindness.

Expert advice for Etham Tablet
Do consult your doctor before taking ethambutol if you have any eye problems such as cataracts (disturbed vision due to clouding of eye lenses) , recurrent inflammatory conditions of the eye, optic neuritis (inflammation of nerve fibers that transmit visual information from your eye to the brain), and diabetic retinopathy (a complication of eye due to diabetes). Ethambutol can cause serious eye damage. Regular eye checkups are recommended while on treatment with ethambutol.
Do consult your doctor before taking ethambutol:

If you have kidney problems.
If you have liver problems.
If you have gout (pain, swelling, redness and stiffness in joints due to accumulation of uric acid).

Ethambutol is not recommended for use in children aged below 3 years.
Do consult your doctor before taking ethambutol if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Do consult your doctor before taking ethambutol if you are breastfeeding.
Do not stop taking ethambutol without consulting your doctor. If you forget to take a dose of ethambutol, take it as soon as you remember. Do not double the dose to make up for the missed dose.

Q. Does Etham cause blindness?
Optic neuritis (inflammation of nerve fibers that transmit visual information from your eye to the brain) is one of the side effects of Etham which causes several forms of eye defect. Although these conditions are reversible upon discontinuation of the drug, rare cases of irreversible blindness have also been reported. Please contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of these symptoms: decreased clearness of vision, loss of vision, disturbed vision due to blind spots, color blindness, visual field defect and eye pain

Q. Does Etham induce hyperuricemia/how does Etham induce hyperuricemia?
Yes. Increase in blood levels of uric acid is a side effect of Etham. It increases the retention of uric acid in the body by decreasing the excretion of urates (uric acid) by the kidneys

Q. How does Etham work in the body?
Etham is an antibiotic effective against tuberculosis causing bacteria. It suppresses the growth of the bacteria by interfering with the formation of the outer protective covering (cell wall) of the bacteria, thereby weakening the bacteria

Q. What is Etham toxicity/How does Etham cause optic neuritis/how does Etham affect vision?
Etham toxicity involves toxic effects on the eyes (optic neuritis/optic neuropathy) which are related to the dose and duration of Etham treatment. It causes optic neuritis (inflammation of nerve fibers in the eye) by interfering with important cellular activities (mitochondrial toxicity) in the nerve cells and inducing nerve damage (neuropathy) thereby affecting the transmission of visual information from the eye to brain. The symptoms of Etham induced optic neuritis include: decreased clearness of vision, loss of vision, disturbed vision due to blind spots, color blindness, visual field defect and eye pain

Q. What does Etham treat?
Etham is an antibiotic effective against tuberculosis causing bacteria. It is used in the prevention, treatment and second time treatment of tuberculosis (a serious infection caused by bacteria that affects the lungs and in certain cases other parts of the body)

Q. Is Etham bacteriostatic or bactericidal?
Etham is both a bacteriostatic and a bactericidal antibiotic. It suppresses the growth of bacteria (bacteriostatic) by interfering with the formation of the outer protective covering (cell wall) of the bacteria, thereby weakening it and causing cell death in certain cases (bactericidal)

Q. Is Etham hepatotoxic?
Liver toxicities are among the known side effects of Etham. Inflammation of liver (hepatitis), abnormal liver function causing yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice), abnormal liver function tests (blood tests to assess health of liver) and very rarely liver failure have been noted in patients receiving multi drug (including Etham) treatment for tuberculosis. Please contact your doctor before taking Etham if you have any liver problems

Q. Is Etham toxicity reversible?
In most cases Etham toxicities are related to dose (depends upon the quantity of Etham you take) and duration of treatment and are reversible upon discontinuation. However, serious irreversible damage to eye and liver has been reported in rare cases

Q. Is Etham chemotherapy?
Etham is an antibiotic used in the treatment of tuberculosis. Do not confuse it with chemotherapy or chemo drugs used for the treatment of cancer

Q. Etham is effective against?
Etham is effective against most tuberculosis causing bacteria belonging to Mycobacterium family (M. tuberculosis, M. avium complex, M. kansasii, M. marinum).