Ulcerative Colitis and Physical Fitness

**Strong_Guy** · 11-29-2013

It looks like Humira is going to be the most effective attempt at a "catch all" for the UC and SI pain. But wait for it...... As part of my pre-screening for the Humira they had to do some additional blood tests, and guess what, I tested positive for latent TB. Aside from being a terrible pill to swallow on its own, I cannot now, start the Humira. I've been working in public safety for the last ten years so that's a good indicator as to where I could have been exposed to TB. I actually had to get the skin test done a few years ago and it was negative at the time. However, this was the blood test which is the most fool-proof so I do in fact harbor the TB infection. The good thing is its latent (dormant) and "easily" treatable with a 6-9 month treatment of a potent antibiotic. The medication that I will be taking is Isoniazid. This isn't without its own risks though. They are pairing it with Pyridoxine which is basically a prescribed high dose vitamin B6. This is due to the medication potentially having adverse neurological effects due to the depletion of B6 as a byproduct of the antibiotic. So that part is good. The other concern is that Isoniazid is also potentially very hard on the liver. I will have to go in for monthly tests to monitor my liver values to make sure things stay normal. Apparently many go through the treatment fairly well with little sides, but the liver damage potential has me worried. So on that note, I had read where some doctors advise their patients who are undergoing this treatment to take some form of liver support. On a related note I was wondering: What are some recommended good, effective, and fairly economical (keep in mind I will have to be on this treatment 6-9 months) liver supports out there? I figured this would be a good place to check, I haven't had to really look into this before as I've never ran methyls or anything... Any input would be greatly appreciated!