Hi--
I am now starting my last month of 9 months on isoniazid. I am not a typical person on it though. I was dxed with "latent TB" because at the time I had a negative chest xray, but I did have active TB at one point, though just a small tubercule accompanied by the onset of fatty liver and polyglandular dysfunction problems, vitiligo and hyperpigment typical of adrenal disease, though labs not greatly abnormal as symptoms suggested.

Anyway, my skin problems are changing. My "permanent tan" on my arms is going, alongwith the liver spots on my hands and arms. My hyperpimentation is fading and my vitiligo is pink and beginning to ever so slowly be going away.

My TPOs (anti thyriod peroxidase antibodies) were well over 1000 (high normal is 60) without synthroid, 500 on synthroid, and now are 17 in last months labs. The continuing ascent of my TSH is coming down and my ACTH and cortisol are normal, just barely, but normal. I have not had my ANA tested but hope it is down as well.

I do feel in some ways sicker because I have severe steatohepatitis with insignificant fibrosis as of three years ago and I can tell I'm getting some more damage. It will heal though when I'm off isoniazid.

I can only think that I must have had some degree of extrapulmonary TB, however mild. I have had hyperpigmentation and vitiligo and liver and endo disease since my active tb in 1992, which was not treated. I was given interferon instead as they believe I had HCV. I don't know what interferon does to TB, but it cleared the spot from my lung, so I was no longer a candidate for isoniazid. It was only when my endocrine system and autoimmune and liver seemed to be getting bad enough that steroids were going to be needed that the TB was treated. I was told if I had had extrapulmonary TB, I would have been dead by now. I have been pretty sick.

I think milder cases of TB may be mistaken for other illnesses (my gi problems "IBS" is gone now too), especially in people with autoimmune disease who are given steroids and never ever ever tested for TB or even questioned about it. We take the steroids, feel better for a little while, but overall are health spirals downward with a variety of mystery ailments in various places. So maybe "latent" TB in some of us is a little bit more than that, but since we are given so many antibiotics which help some, we don't get sick enough for a doc to culture or biopsy or scan for it.

I hope more is done to raise awareness about TB for those with autoimmune disease. Most people I know have never been tested, were tested ages ago like 20 years or so ago in grade school in the US. or have never even been asked before receiving these drugs, and while some are very ill, perhaps they are getting something that might make them worse or not getting all the treatment they need.

Hope this post helps. I hope everyone is getting well or feeling better anyway.