positive TB test

[chinalover 0]

My fiance in China received a positive test and started her medicine in april. she said they do test every month and the chest xray shows it's gone, but they are still making her do the 6 month treatment.

is there any way to shorten or cancel the medicine. they are very strong and toxin to the liver?

any help would be appreciated.

[Moonandstar 6]

Yea dude just tell her to dump the pills, tell the doctor she took it.

#### that, it's the doctors in this case that are bad for her, if that TB really is fine.

Its her body, not theirs.

Edited July 22, 2010 by Moonandstar

[L&V 1]

I think you (she) should take this very seriously. TB is highly contagious if she has active TB (can also be transmitted to others via airbourne). The treatment requires a daily dose (EVERYDAY) consistently for 6 months. This is to protect your fiancee, YOU, AND everyone else. If she had a clear chest x-ray to start with, it will continue to show clear (unless she becomes infected). The monthly test (assuming it's a blood test to check liver function) is to make sure her body is not reacting negatively to the medication.

It's rather irresponsible to advise someone to "dump the pills". Regardless if she takes it or not, she will have to wait for 6 months because until the end of the medication period (you cannot take 2 a day and shorten the time to 3 months).

Be patient! She's half way done already.

[chinalover 0]

i asked her to ask them what class she is under. i.e TB A, B1, B2. they told her from the medical office there is no class classification and she MUST finish the 6 month period. she moved to Canton to do this and it's caused a big inconvenience for her because of the cost, and cannot work.

so again, is there any way to shorten the time? would hiring a lawyer work?

[chinalover 0]

you are right, the xray did show something, thats why she started the meds, but after she took it for a few months, the monthly test shows it's gone. why must she still continue to take them?

I think you (she) should take this very seriously. TB is highly contagious if she has active TB (can also be transmitted to others via airbourne). The treatment requires a daily dose (EVERYDAY) consistently for 6 months. This is to protect your fiancee, YOU, AND everyone else. If she had a clear chest x-ray to start with, it will continue to show clear (unless she becomes infected). The monthly test (assuming it's a blood test to check liver function) is to make sure her body is not reacting negatively to the medication.

It's rather irresponsible to advise someone to "dump the pills". Regardless if she takes it or not, she will have to wait for 6 months because until the end of the medication period (you cannot take 2 a day and shorten the time to 3 months).

Be patient! She's half way done already.

[JimVaPhuong 4,864]

My fiance in China received a positive test and started her medicine in april. she said they do test every month and the chest xray shows it's gone, but they are still making her do the 6 month treatment.

is there any way to shorten or cancel the medicine. they are very strong and toxin to the liver?

any help would be appreciated.

It takes two months to fully complete the sputum culture, and they won't know for sure until she has a clean sputum culture. If she stops the treatment then the infection could return as an active drug-resistant strain, which could be deadly. Don't mess around with this. Finish the treatment. One of the VJ forum members recently lost a family member in Vietnam to TB. Would you prefer she die from TB with a healthy liver?

She is inadmissible until she clears the mandatory TB screening. There is no way around this. Hiring a lawyer will not change anything.

[L&V 1]

you are right, the xray did show something, thats why she started the meds, but after she took it for a few months, the monthly test shows it's gone. why must she still continue to take them?

If she has active TB, and you've been around her, maybe it would be a good idea if you got tested too.

I don't know of any lawyers that can cure TB. Sorry.

Edited July 22, 2010 by L&V

[chinalover 0]

i did a test, and it's negative. i don't think she has an active one. but she is asked to take the 6 months meds. active ones have to take them for 18-24 months, right?

[Tater&Bugger 3]

I find it appalling that someone would look into finding a way around this! To put the person you love, as well as hundreds of others that they come in contact with each day in danger is truly a selfish act. I hope she is smart and continues to take her meds, I've seen what TB can do to people. It's not to be taken lightly. I would also never recommend seeking medical advice on the internet.

[JimVaPhuong 4,864]

i did a test, and it's negative. i don't think she has an active one. but she is asked to take the 6 months meds. active ones have to take them for 18-24 months, right?

No. If the infection was not active then she would have passed the first sputum culture test. The treatment can take as little as six months, or as long as two years. It depends on the virility of the bacteria strain, and the degree of infection. If she was asymptomatic, then the infection was probably not widespread, and the treatment should be completed in six months.

[chinalover 0]

she is asymptomatic.

trust me guys, if she has to take it, ofcourse i wouldnt want to hurry her. it's just that she has a bad kidney and the meds are very strong and toxin. and her most recent test shows it's clear. i just wonder why they would continue her on the meds for 3 more months.

that's all. I'm in no way trying to cheat the system. when i went with her to ask the medical supervisor, she said if test shows it's gone in a month or 2, then she can stop, but now that i'm back in the US, they are telling her 6 months.

[chinalover 0]

I was reading some thread about TB and came across this

I met a girl at SLMEC and there was already scarring in her lungs. She also brought with her an old x-ray film. I am not sure of the diagnosis, but although she had to undergo sputum culture for 2 months, she was also prescribed fr a medication for two months. And did it in her province. After two months, she came back to SLMEC (that's when I met her), and she had another x-ray. Her x-ray then was clear and she was given clearance. So she did not undergo the 6 months PTB medications.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/244196-has-anyone-gotten-a-chest-x-ray-in-the-philippines-before-the-medical-exam/page__hl__asymptomatic__st__15

so this is the same exact situation as her? that's why i asked why she was given clearance after only 2 months.

[Moonandstar 6]

I was reading some thread about TB and came across this

I met a girl at SLMEC and there was already scarring in her lungs. She also brought with her an old x-ray film. I am not sure of the diagnosis, but although she had to undergo sputum culture for 2 months, she was also prescribed fr a medication for two months. And did it in her province. After two months, she came back to SLMEC (that's when I met her), and she had another x-ray. Her x-ray then was clear and she was given clearance. So she did not undergo the 6 months PTB medications.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/244196-has-anyone-gotten-a-chest-x-ray-in-the-philippines-before-the-medical-exam/page__hl__asymptomatic__st__15

so this is the same exact situation as her? that's why i asked why she was given clearance after only 2 months.

I guess all that can be said is that every person's different. Some might be better off taking the extra 6 mo's, some may not.

But ultimately, you (the patient at least) need to be person looking out for yourself. There are plenty of doctors out there that are only in this stuff for the money (USCIS civ. surgeons are proof of that), and you need to make the call for yourself. I'm not saying you shouldn't take the doctors advice- but unless you or she knows the doctor really well you likely have no way of knowing what this guy's motivations for prescribing the meds are.

With a bad kidney, and meds that are like kemo (ie. burning down the house to get rid of the rats), its up to you two to decide what to do. Which would you rather take a chance on, and which one seems the be the safest way? Cut the treatment? And risk full blown TB? Or complete the treatment, and risk one (or two?) kidneys. I think maybe a compromise would be your best bet, ie. 3 months. But again, i dont know the circumstances, only you two and your doctor do.

Edited July 22, 2010 by Moonandstar

[chinalover 0]

thanks for your reply. what i'm saying is the option is not up to us. they are saying 6 months, and are not giving any room. the GZ office said this is mandatory from the USCIS, so what options do we have if we want to cut it off at 3 or 4 months?

thanks

I guess all that can be said is that every person's different. Some might be better off taking the extra 6 mo's, some may not.

But ultimately, you (the patient at least) need to be person looking out for yourself. There are plenty of doctors out there that are only in this stuff for the money (USCIS civ. surgeons are proof of that), and you need to make the call for yourself. I'm not saying you shouldn't take the doctors advice- but unless you or she knows the doctor really well you likely have no way of knowing what this guy's motivations for prescribing the meds are.

With a bad kidney, and meds that are like kemo (ie. burning down the house to get rid of the rats), its up to you two to decide what to do. Which would you rather take a chance on, and which one seems the be the safest way? Cut the treatment? And risk full blown TB? Or complete the treatment, and risk one (or two?) kidneys. I think maybe a compromise would be your best bet, ie. 3 months. But again, i dont know the circumstances, only you two and your doctor do.

[Moonandstar 6]

thanks for your reply. what i'm saying is the option is not up to us. they are saying 6 months, and are not giving any room. the GZ office said this is mandatory from the USCIS, so what options do we have if we want to cut it off at 3 or 4 months?

thanks

Like i said, if your sure that's what you want to do, dump the pills. But please do as much research as possible before you make a decision. It's not one to be taken lightly.

I highly doubt that GUZ will listen to your plight (or one of an attorney's) over the doctor's, so fighting their decision outright (although i would talk to them yourself at least one more time before you decide) probably wont work. I would also cover your a$$ and be sure that they wont test blood work to make sure she's taking them, should you decide to quit.

O yea, and dont tell them she's stopped.

Btw, has she even told the doctors about her kidneys?

Edited July 22, 2010 by Moonandstar