Common Visual impairment, Color blindness.

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

Q. How does Themibutol work in the body?
Themibutol 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 Themibutol toxicity/How does Themibutol cause optic neuritis/how does Themibutol affect vision?
Themibutol toxicity involves toxic effects on the eyes (optic neuritis/optic neuropathy) which are related to the dose and duration of Themibutol 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 Themibutol 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 Themibutol treat?
Themibutol 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 Themibutol bacteriostatic or bactericidal?
Themibutol 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 Themibutol hepatotoxic?
Liver toxicities are among the known side effects of Themibutol. 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 Themibutol) treatment for tuberculosis. Please contact your doctor before taking Themibutol if you have any liver problems

Q. Is Themibutol toxicity reversible?
In most cases Themibutol toxicities are related to dose (depends upon the quantity of Themibutol 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 Themibutol chemotherapy?
Themibutol 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. Themibutol is effective against?
Themibutol is effective against most tuberculosis causing bacteria belonging to Mycobacterium family (M. tuberculosis, M. avium complex, M. kansasii, M. marinum).