Ethambutol Hydrochloride
Ethambutol hydrochloride is a tuberculosis medicine taken alongside other TB drugs, sold here as generic Myambutol tablets in 200mg, 400mg, 600mg and 800mg strengths.
Where ethambutol fits in TB treatment
Ethambutol hydrochloride is an antimycobacterial: it acts on the mycobacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB). TB typically starts in the lungs but can also settle in the lymph nodes, kidneys, spine or brain, and ethambutol is used against both lung disease and disease at other sites. It plays a smaller part in some other mycobacterial infections, such as Mycobacterium avium complex.
How the tablets work
Mycobacteria protect themselves with a thick, waxy wall, and ethambutol blocks the enzymes that assemble one of its key parts. The wall cannot be completed properly, so the germs stop multiplying and the infection stops spreading. Ethambutol holds the bacteria back rather than killing them outright; the other medicines in the regimen and the body's own defences do the rest. Because TB germs become resistant quickly when a single drug is used, ethambutol is never taken on its own.
Myambutol tablets and their strengths
Generic Myambutol is the ethambutol listing here: tablets in 200mg, 400mg, 600mg and 800mg. Myambutol is the brand name the ingredient is best known by. The strength and the number of tablets used depend on body weight and on the other medicines in the regimen, which is why four strengths are stocked. Ethambutol belongs with the rest of the antibiotics in the shop.
Taking ethambutol each day
Ethambutol is a single daily dose, swallowed whole with a glass of water. Anchor it to something you do every morning, since the course lasts months; meals make no difference. Antacids containing aluminium lower how much ethambutol is absorbed, so put several hours between the two. The kidneys clear it from the body, so people with reduced kidney function are given a lower dose.
Side effects, eyesight included
Nausea, an unsettled stomach, loss of appetite, headache, dizziness and aching joints are the effects people notice most, and they tend to ease. Eyesight is the one to watch. Ethambutol can inflame the optic nerve — the nerve carrying signals from the eye to the brain — and that shows up as blurred vision, colours looking dull or washed out, or trouble telling red from green. It is more likely with higher doses and longer courses. Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet can also develop. Vision changes need checking straight away; a fast-spreading rash or swelling of the face or lips needs emergency care.
Sources
- Tuberculosis (TB) - NHS — NHS
- About Tuberculosis - CDC — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Where can I buy Ethambutol Hydrochloride in Hong Kong?
Ethambutol Hydrochloride can be ordered online with delivery to Hong Kong, as generic Myambutol tablets in 200mg, 400mg, 600mg and 800mg. Tracked courier delivery to Hong Kong takes 5 to 9 business days and comes with online tracking.
How are Ethambutol Hydrochloride prices shown?
Myambutol is priced per pack: its page lists every strength and pack size with the current price in HKD or your chosen currency.
Do I need a prescription to order Ethambutol Hydrochloride?
PockDose does not ask you to upload a prescription when you order ethambutol hydrochloride. See the ordering FAQ for details.
What brand names does ethambutol hydrochloride have?
Myambutol is a brand name of ethambutol hydrochloride. Here, ethambutol hydrochloride can be bought online as generic Myambutol. These are generics, not the original brand.
How long is ethambutol taken for?
It is usually part of the first two months of treatment, the intensive phase when several TB medicines are taken together. The full course for active TB runs about six months, with the other medicines continuing after ethambutol stops.
Will my eyesight go back to normal after ethambutol?
In most people it does. The visual changes are linked to the dose and to how long the medicine is taken, and eyesight generally returns to normal once it is stopped. Blurring, dulled colours or trouble telling red from green should be looked at as soon as it appears.
Can I drink alcohol with ethambutol?
Ethambutol is cleared mainly by the kidneys, so alcohol does not interfere with it directly. Heavy drinking is still worth avoiding during TB treatment, because the other medicines in the regimen are processed by the liver and alcohol adds to that workload.
Does ethambutol kill the TB bacteria?
Not directly. It is bacteriostatic, meaning it prevents the germs from building their cell wall so they cannot multiply; the immune system and the other TB drugs finish them off. That is part of why it is never used alone.
Can I stop taking ethambutol once I feel better?
No. Feeling better means the regimen is working, not that the infection has gone — TB germs survive for weeks after symptoms ease. Stopping early lets the illness return and can leave bacteria that resist the medicines already used.