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um... yay

What should I avoid while taking isoniazid?

Avoid alcohol while taking isoniazid. Alcohol will increase the risk of damage to the liver during treatment with this medication.

Use caution with the foods listed below. They can interact with isoniazid and cause a reaction that includes a severe headache, large pupils, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flushing, sweating, itching, irregular heartbeats, and chest pain. A reaction will not necessarily occur, but eat these foods with caution until you know if you will react to them. Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.

Eat the following foods with caution:

• cheeses, including American, Blue, Boursault, Brick, Brie, Camembert, Cheddar, Emmenthaler, Gruyere, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, Roquefort, Stilton, and Swiss;

• sour cream and yogurt;

• beef or chicken liver, fish, meats prepared with tenderizer, bologna, pepperoni, salami, summer sausage, game meat, meat extracts, caviar, dried fish, herring, shrimp paste, and tuna;

• avocados, bananas, figs, raisins, and sauerkraut;

• soy sauce, miso soup, bean curd, and fava beans;

• yeast extracts;

• ginseng;

• chocolate;

• caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, etc.); and

• beer (alcoholic and nonalcoholic), red wine (especially Chianti), sherry, vermouth, and other distilled spirits.

I start tomorrow.. maybe. I still can't decide. On one hand, the meds can cause nasty side effects, liver damage, and I can't take them with some of the meds (or, apparently, foods) I already take/eat. The risk of latent TB turning into active TB is 10% if I do nothing at all, and 5% if I take the pills for 9 months (!). Yup, you read right... almost a year of meds to lower my chances a whopping 5%.

On the other hand, TB can affect your lungs, spine, liver, even your brain, and it can kill you. There are drugs available to treat it if it becomes active, but then I'd be on 4 different meds, instead of just this one. I am also considered a 'high-risk' for two years after exposure - which, frankly, based on the facts available, it's likely it's been nearly 6 months already anyway...

So, here's a question for my friends... would you take it??