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This patient support community is for discussions relating to lung and respiratory issues, allergies, asthma, bronchitis, colds/flu, chronic cough, COPD, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, fibrosis, lung abscess, nasal polyps, pleurisy, pneumonia, sarcoidosis, sinusitis, and tuberculosis.
Active Tuberculosis symptoms
by Vicor, Jun 15, 2007 12:00AM
I have the symptoms of Active Tuberculosis, which are unintended weight loss, fatigue, slight fever, night sweats, chills, loss of appetite, and muscle wasting. The slight fever, afternoon seats, night sweats, chills occured over two years ago. The unintended weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, and muscle wasting have followed progressively.
I have tested negative for AIDS/HIV and viral Hepatitis panel three times ove the past two years. Two months ago, I tested positive for Chronic Active Epstein-Barr virus.
My doctors haven't found a diagnosis and treatment. Two months ago, my medical research indicated I had all the symptoms of Tuberculosis except a cough. I voluntarily went to a local city Tuberculosis and took the TB PPD skin test. I had never take the skin test before. I tested positive with a tuberculin reaction of 12mm.
The clinic TB doctor told me my chest X ray didn't indicate Tuberculosis in my lungs. I suggested to the TB clinic doctor given my symptoms of possible active extrapulmonary tuberculosis, it would require a culture and biopsy in making the diagnosis. I asked the doctor if it was absolutely certain, I didn't have active Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis somewhere in my body. The doctor couldn't give me that certainty. The doctor declined further tests, because it wasn't known where in my body to culture and biopsy.
A tuberculosis skin test can reliably show if a person has been infected with tuberculosis, but it cannot tell if that person person has active tuberculosis or not. To confirm active tuberculosis in an individual and learn about the bacterial strain with which they are dealing, doctors rely on laboratory tests, which are more informative than X rays. A culture and biopsy are important in making the diagnosis in Extrapulmonary disease. Getting a culture and biopsy of the active tuberculosis aids in determining which TB medications have a better chance of working on the patient.
My research indicates a tuberculin reaction of 10 mm or more is positive in Persons with clinical conditions that place them at high risk (e.g., diabetes, prolonged corticosteroid therapy, leukemia, end-stage renal disease, chronic malabsorption syndromes, low body weight, etc). Any patient with a tuberculin reaction of greater than 5mm should receive preventive isoniazid therapy (INH) for at least 12 months. My tuberculin reaction was 12mm and I have low body weight.
Tuberculosis can target almost any part of your body, including your lungs, joints, bones, urinary tract, liver, central nervous system, muscles, bone marrow and lymphatic system. Left untreated, tuberculosis can be fatal.
My abdominal MRI indicats a 3mm cyst on my liver.
My research indicates that liver involvement in tuberculosis, though common both in pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis, is usually clinically silent. Local tuberculosis of the liver may either mean a lesion > 2 mm diameter on gross examination or a selective involvement of the liver without clinically apparent disease of other organs. The lesion on my liver is 3mm which is > 2mm. A needle biopsy of the lesion is an excellent method for making the diagnosis; none of the imaging modalities (ultrasound, CT and MRI) is useful because of the small size (2mm) of the granulomas. The histopathological appearance of tuberculosis is so similar to other granulomatus lesions that bacteriological studies are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
I have been told my 3mm cyst on my liver is too small to biopsy.
I had an exam with a Dermatologist, whose opinion was I don't have skin TB.
A MRI of my throacic and lumbar spine don't indicate spinal TB.
My chest X ray, skin exam doesn't indicate spinal TB.
It is my understanding at some point in time I was infected with Tuberculosis, which is somewhere in my body active or latent. I have the symptoms of active TB.
I don't have a biopsy and culture to determine the strain of TB, which I have been infected with. I haven't been put on a four TB drug regimen.
I have been trying unsucessfully for a month to receive an appointment with an Infectious Disease Specialist.
I would think with the media and public outrage over the infamous TB celebrity Andrew Speaker that I would be able to receive further TB testing.
Any recommedations will be appreciated.
I have tested negative for AIDS/HIV and viral Hepatitis panel three times ove the past two years. Two months ago, I tested positive for Chronic Active Epstein-Barr virus.
My doctors haven't found a diagnosis and treatment. Two months ago, my medical research indicated I had all the symptoms of Tuberculosis except a cough. I voluntarily went to a local city Tuberculosis and took the TB PPD skin test. I had never take the skin test before. I tested positive with a tuberculin reaction of 12mm.
The clinic TB doctor told me my chest X ray didn't indicate Tuberculosis in my lungs. I suggested to the TB clinic doctor given my symptoms of possible active extrapulmonary tuberculosis, it would require a culture and biopsy in making the diagnosis. I asked the doctor if it was absolutely certain, I didn't have active Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis somewhere in my body. The doctor couldn't give me that certainty. The doctor declined further tests, because it wasn't known where in my body to culture and biopsy.
A tuberculosis skin test can reliably show if a person has been infected with tuberculosis, but it cannot tell if that person person has active tuberculosis or not. To confirm active tuberculosis in an individual and learn about the bacterial strain with which they are dealing, doctors rely on laboratory tests, which are more informative than X rays. A culture and biopsy are important in making the diagnosis in Extrapulmonary disease. Getting a culture and biopsy of the active tuberculosis aids in determining which TB medications have a better chance of working on the patient.
My research indicates a tuberculin reaction of 10 mm or more is positive in Persons with clinical conditions that place them at high risk (e.g., diabetes, prolonged corticosteroid therapy, leukemia, end-stage renal disease, chronic malabsorption syndromes, low body weight, etc). Any patient with a tuberculin reaction of greater than 5mm should receive preventive isoniazid therapy (INH) for at least 12 months. My tuberculin reaction was 12mm and I have low body weight.
Tuberculosis can target almost any part of your body, including your lungs, joints, bones, urinary tract, liver, central nervous system, muscles, bone marrow and lymphatic system. Left untreated, tuberculosis can be fatal.
My abdominal MRI indicats a 3mm cyst on my liver.
My research indicates that liver involvement in tuberculosis, though common both in pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis, is usually clinically silent. Local tuberculosis of the liver may either mean a lesion > 2 mm diameter on gross examination or a selective involvement of the liver without clinically apparent disease of other organs. The lesion on my liver is 3mm which is > 2mm. A needle biopsy of the lesion is an excellent method for making the diagnosis; none of the imaging modalities (ultrasound, CT and MRI) is useful because of the small size (2mm) of the granulomas. The histopathological appearance of tuberculosis is so similar to other granulomatus lesions that bacteriological studies are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
I have been told my 3mm cyst on my liver is too small to biopsy.
I had an exam with a Dermatologist, whose opinion was I don't have skin TB.
A MRI of my throacic and lumbar spine don't indicate spinal TB.
My chest X ray, skin exam doesn't indicate spinal TB.
It is my understanding at some point in time I was infected with Tuberculosis, which is somewhere in my body active or latent. I have the symptoms of active TB.
I don't have a biopsy and culture to determine the strain of TB, which I have been infected with. I haven't been put on a four TB drug regimen.
I have been trying unsucessfully for a month to receive an appointment with an Infectious Disease Specialist.
I would think with the media and public outrage over the infamous TB celebrity Andrew Speaker that I would be able to receive further TB testing.
Any recommedations will be appreciated.
I was wondering how your prognosis was coming along?
I was tested for TB and had a 12mm positive reading. I contacted TB Control in my city and they had a doctor review my lung CT