TB tips: dealing with side effects
* I am not going to lie to you. Some of the side effects are really horrible. Especially the older and second-line treatments. I personally needed counselling to get me through. There were many times I sat there on the floor in tears surrounded by bottles of pills.
* In my experience doctors are very good at treating conditions such as TB, though they don't always grasp how side effects make people feel. If your doctor seems unsympathetic, ask to see a counsellor or a clinical psychologist. Sometimes they know other ways of dealing with side effects.
* If you are not already on the Direct Observed Therapy programme, ask to be put on it. I eventually found the programme provided much needed emotional support.
