What a sh!tty day - Tested positive for TB. Can anyone offer some insight?

[NokiaDude]

My mom had it, the medicine made her sicker than the TB did! BTW, she was infected but did not have full blown TB.

 

[Aceshigh]

Originally posted by: AzNmAnJLH
30% of the population has tb... it's curable

I find that extremely hard to believe. Do you have any links stating that?

 

[AdamDuritz99]

Don't worry about it. Besides, If you want to work in the Med field you will eventually get exposed to it. I work in the Med field and some of the people i know have been tested positive. It's nothing to worry about untill you get older or have a weak immune system. Just follow your doctors orders.

peace
sean

 

[WinkOsmosis]

OH NO I TESTED POSITIVE FOR TEH TB OH GNOES... Calm down man. All that means is you were exposed to the bacteria. Now you have to go through the process with the antibiotics or whatever. I tested positive for TB in like 1996 and I'm fine. I would have thought they would have freaking explained this to you when they gave you the results.

 

[FoBoT]

don't sweat it
this happened to me about 7 years ago
i had a positive skin test

i was in the Navy at the time

they did the chest x-ray and then i was on the anti-biotics for 6 months
had to check in monthly at the clinic and answer questions ( best i recall, are you having trouble sleeping, yellow tongue?, some others, i forget)

it turned out to not be a big deal, i went through the routine and have never had any problems

it was kind of scary at first, don't worry

 

[NogginBoink]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
Contrary to the beliefs of some posters . . . BCG is not a contradindication for TST. A past-BCG may produce a positive PPD but anyone meeting criteria for TB-exposure should be worked up to rule out disease.

The following are important when administering the TST to prior recipients of bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine:

Immunization with BCG is not a contraindication to the TST. BCG vaccination is used in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries.
Differentiating tuberculin reactions caused by vaccination with BCG versus reactions caused by infection with M tuberculosis is difficult. History of contact with a person with contagious TB or emigration from a country with a high prevalence of TB suggests that the positive results are due to infection with M tuberculosis. However, multiple BCG vaccinations may increase the likelihood that the positive TST result is due to BCG vaccination. The positive reactivity caused by BCG vaccination generally wanes with the passage of time. With the administration of TST, this positive tuberculin reactivity may be boosted.

A prior BCG vaccination does not affect interpretation of a TST result for a person who is symptomatic or in whom TB is strongly suspected.

You can certainly request confirmatory tests to distinguish latent TB and asymptomatic primary infection from a false positive PPD. Getting it done now will save you a lot of time and BS (ala tcsenter) . . . not to mention avoiding 9 months of therapy. There are multiple treatment options available for TB prophylaxis but if you don't ask your only option will be what your care provider happens to know. You should insist that an ID specialists be consulted.

That's interesting. In my clinical rotations as a med tech I was told that BCG *is* a contraindication of the skin test. You already know the skin test will be positive, and in some cases (we were told), you gan get such a violent reaction that the health/life of the person being tested can be at risk.

 

[jemcam]

I tested positive in 1980 (twice to be sure) when it was mandatory for college admissions. No biggie, they did give me the antibiotics to take for a year, but when I realized I couldn't take it and drink when at college, I quit taking it.

It didn't prevent me from getting in the Army 5 years later either, btw.

Don't sweat it.

 

[Spamela]

Originally posted by: AdamDuritz99
Don't worry about it. Besides, If you want to work in the Med field you will eventually get exposed to it. I work in the Med field and some of the people i know have been tested positive. It's nothing to worry about untill you get older or have a weak immune system. Just follow your doctors orders.

peace
sean

my older son has worked in a hospital for about 14 years & tested positive for it once, although he didn't have it. he was bummed out until he was sure he didn't have it, though.

 

[her209]

How did you get your TB?

 

[Gulzakar]

TB is airborne...working anyplace with the public gets you exposed, medical, RETAIL, etc...

Testing positive doesn't mean you have it, it means that you have antibodies to the disease which in turns means that you have been exposed to it at one point. It's not like ebola where your exposed, then get sick, then you die. Your body can keep it in check, it's only when your immuno-suppressed that your in trouble.

They give you the xray to look for any fluids as TB is a respiratory infection. If they see nothing, they probably won't give you anything. If they see something, be prepared for medication up the wazoo...

 

[schdaddy]

Originally posted by: her209
How did you get your TB?

no idea, I'm asking the people in my daily life (family, friends, school mates, etc) to get checked to see if they have it

when I left the hostipal the nurse basically told me 2 things 1. I'll have to get a X-ray 2. I'll have to take medication for nearly 1yr
after reading various TB sites & replies here I'm not overly stressed about it anymore



thanks again everyone for the info/support

 

[Hammer]

positive means you just have the antigens right? you still don't know if you actually have it. you might not have to take meds.

 

[NogginBoink]

Originally posted by: Hammer
positive means you just have the antigens right? you still don't know if you actually have it. you might not have to take meds.

It means you have the antibodies. Otherwise your statement is correct.

 

[styelers]

It won't be a problem if you have tb and want to pursue the medical field. As long as the hospital is informed that you are taking medication for it, its fine.

 

[AzNmAnJLH]

when you posted this it seems you were scared as if you were diagnosed with cancer or something... until you are a geriatric person you don't really have anything to worry about. Unless you got a weak immune system.