Pyrazinamide

Pyrazinamide is a prescription-only antitubercular drug used together with other drugs to treat tuberculosis (TB). It available as:

• Tablet

Before using Pyrazinamide, you must know all about the risks and complications associated with it. Together with your doctor, you can decide whether the medication will do you more goods than the harms.

Here are some factors to be considered before deciding to use this medicine:

Allergies

Inform your doctor about the allergies you have, such as to this medication, other medications, or to foods, dyes, or preservatives.

Pediatric

Pyrazinamide is generally safe for use in children.

Geriatric

It may be used in elderly after assessing risks and benefits of the use.

Pregnancy

It falls under pregnancy category C for all trimesters, meaning that due to lack of sufficient studies, it’s not clear if this medication is safe for use in pregnancy.

Breastfeeding

It may be used in a nursing mother after assessing risks and benefits of the use.

Drug Interactions

Though usually not recommended, your doctor may decide, after adjusting dose or frequency of one or both medicines, to use this medicine with any of the following medicines:

• Cyclosporine
• Ethionamide
• Rifampin
• Zidovudine

Other Interactions

Taking your medicine together with certain foods or items such as alcohol or tobacco may cause undesirable interactions.

Talk to your doctor to know if using this medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco is safe.

Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Past occurrence of gout: Increases risk of a gout attack in patients with a history of gout.
• Severe liver problems: Increases risk of side effects.

To use Pyrazinamide properly, you must follow all instructions given by your doctor.

Here are some points to consider:

• Follow your doctor’s instructions about the use of any medicine.
• Never discontinue or skip the dose of any antitubercular medicines without consulting your doctor. Doing so can make the TB microorganism resistant to treatment. Remember that TB requires treatments that last for months.

Dosing

For best results, follow your doctor to know what amount of medicine you should take in a single dose. The doses of a medicine can differ according to the conditions for which it is being prescribed. Remember your doses can differ. Consult your doctor if you have anything to ask. The doses of tablets are:

For tuberculosis (TB)

• Adults and children: Depending upon your body weight, the doses can vary. The usual dose is 15 to 30 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) body weight once a day, or 50 to 70 mg per kg 2 or 3 times a week to be taken with other antitubercular medicines. Consult your doctor to know what dose is appropriate for you.

Missed Dose

Take your missed dose once you remember but avoid it if it’s time to take your next dose, and follow your normal dosing schedule. Avoid taking double doses to make up for the missed dose.

Storage

• Store in a closed container at room temperature.
• Keep away from heat, moisture, and direct light.
• Do not freeze.
• Keep away from children.
• Discard any unused or expired medicines.

In using Pyrazinamide, you must be careful and take some precautions as advised by your doctor. Your progress should be regularly monitored to determine if you are responding to the treatment.

You may also need various tests to detect any undesirable effects. Remember:

• If your symptoms do not respond to the treatment within 2 to 3 weeks, or if they worsen, consult your doctor.
• Pyrazinamide can interfere with the results of urine ketone tests performed for diabetic patients. So, inform the concerned doctor about your intake of this medicine.

As with many medications, there are several potential side effects associated with Pyrazinamide.

Consult your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following side effects indicating liver problems:

• Continuous nausea/vomiting,
• Excessive tiredness
• Severe stomach pain
• Yellowish eye or skin
• Dark urine
• Swollen joints

Inform your doctor immediately if you have these serious signs:

• Changes in urine volume
• Abnormal bleeding/bruising
• Rapid heartbeat

In rare instances, pyrazinamide may cause life-threatening allergic reactions.

Seek immediate medical help if you experience:

• Skin rashes
• Swollen face, tongue or throat
• Severe dizziness
• Breathing difficulties

The side effects of the medicine are not limited to the ones listed above. Call your doctor immediately if you experience any side effects that are uncommon or worry you. To report side effects to the FDA, contact at 1-800-FDA-1088.