Positive TB test. Ugh!

[runs4qs]

You can get it from just an infected person coughing on you or talking to you. Any chance you received the tb vax for traveling? Not used much in us but thought I'd ask. Otherwise they should do an assay to confirm infection and start you on meds for a while.

[MrsAggie]

It could also be a false positive.

[runs4qs]

False positives are uncommon. . There can be some cross reactivity to other mycobacterium hence the assay to look specifically at mycobacterium tuberculosis.

[Deleted]

Apr 26, 2013 14:45:22 GMT -5 runs4qs said:

You can get it from just an infected person coughing on you or talking to you. Any chance you received the tb vax for traveling? Not used much in us but thought I'd ask. Otherwise they should do an assay to confirm infection and start you on meds for a while.

This. I'd consider yourself lucky that you haven't had to deal with the symptoms. I'd start treatment right away.
I had tb but it was when I was 2 and lot has changed since then.  My mom and I both had TB when we came to the states. Results came back positive but we had to get on plane because dad had orders to be at his new base immediately. Doctor instructed dad to get both of us to the hospital as soon as we landed. Dad didn't listen and thought we both had false positives . Mom just felt feverish for a while, lacked energy. Mine turned into tuburculosis meningitis and 2 months after diagnosis I started having seizures. Spent another two months in the hospital. Part of my brain is permanently damaged and thankfully all it affected was my peripheral vision. Better safe than sorry.

[Brit]

ditzydi - Wow that's a scary story! Glad that it ended ok.

lessel - I bet it was quite a shock to hear about the results of your Mantoux.

[Deleted]

Apr 26, 2013 15:16:56 GMT -5 @pennypie said:

Apr 26, 2013 15:14:26 GMT -5 ditzydi said:

This. I'd consider yourself lucky that you haven't had to deal with the symptoms. I'd start treatment right away.
I had tb but it was when I was 2 and lot has changed since then.  My mom and I both had TB when we came to the states. Results came back positive but we had to get on plane because dad had orders to be at his new base immediately. Doctor instructed dad to get both of us to the hospital as soon as we landed. Dad didn't listen and thought we both had false positives . Mom just felt feverish for a while, lacked energy. Mine turned into tuburculosis meningitis and 2 months after diagnosis I started having seizures. Spent another two months in the hospital. Part of my brain is permanently damaged and thankfully all it affected was my peripheral vision. Better safe than sorry.

I definitely don't have active TB, so I don't have active symptoms. I think the issue is that, if I have latent TB, I have a small chance of developing active TB at some time, with an increased risk if I have immune system issues.

Your story is super-scary, glad you're ok!

Sorry.  Didn't mean to sound dramatic but thought I'd throw it out there as an example of how bad it can get if you don't get treatment.  :-) 

[runs4qs]

Apr 26, 2013 15:15:06 GMT -5 @pennypie said:

Apr 26, 2013 15:13:59 GMT -5 runs4qs said:

False positives are uncommon. . There can be some cross reactivity to other mycobacterium hence the assay to look specifically at mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Is the assay the blood test (TB spot)?

I'm more familiar with the interferon gamma assay, but yes the TB Spot is approved as well.

[MrsAggie]

There is no reliable "gold standard" for sensitivity or specificity for latent TB infections and there's always room for lab error. I would be retested just to make sure. Maybe the quantiferon gold test? It is supposed to have the least false positives while the T Spot is known to have the least false negatives.

[Brit]

Apr 26, 2013 15:24:54 GMT -5 @pennypie said:

Apr 26, 2013 15:22:10 GMT -5 ditzydi said:

Sorry.  Didn't mean to sound dramatic but thought I'd throw it out there as an example of how bad it can get if you don't get treatment.  :-) 

I completely appreciate your story! I also might have a slight knee-jerk reaction because I'm afraid people will think I'm sick and contagious now. I *think* it is not uncommon to get a positive TB test (and to therefore have latent TB), but it was just way unexpected.

I don't think it is especially rare. One time in grad school I went to the on-campus clinic to get shots before my study abroad in China. While I was in the waiting area, tons of international students came through to have their Mantoux tests read and they were failing them left and right.

[Stingyshark]

I've tested positive.. I was SOoOO embarrassed & upset - like it was something I had done.. I also had to be tested yearly (for work) and the prior year had been negative.

I traveled to the Bahamas over the summer, could that have been it? Maybe. Could some random person coughed on me? Maybe.. I'll never know how or why.. but it is what it is.

I went to my local health dept and i had to take a concoction of pills or 9 LONG months. The meds weren't mandatory, but i'd rather be safe than sorry. I didn't have any side effects.. The most annoying part was having to go to the HD every month to pick up the pills and have a checkup.

[MrsE]

Apr 27, 2013 6:59:35 GMT -5 Stingyshark said:

I've tested positive.. I was SOoOO embarrassed & upset - like it was something I had done.. I also had to be tested yearly (for work) and the prior year had been negative.

I traveled to the Bahamas over the summer, could that have been it? Maybe. Could some random person coughed on me? Maybe.. I'll never know how or why.. but it is what it is.

I went to my local health dept and i had to take a concoction of pills or 9 LONG months. The meds weren't mandatory, but i'd rather be safe than sorry. I didn't have any side effects.. The most annoying part was having to go to the HD every month to pick up the pills and have a checkup.

This is exactly what happened to DH's BFF. He took medication for 9 months and then he was fine. He said the worst part was that he couldn't drink. (For perspective, he was in college at that time and lived with fraternity brothers).

I hope everything goes smoothly for you with whatever you decide to do.

[Deleted]

If it's just pills I would just take it for peace of mind. I guess the whole silver lining in my situation and my contribution to society was that according to dad, I was given a 20% chance of surviving and so out of desperation, they just concocted a cocktail of meds. And voila. I'm here. The story was published in medical journals and the doctors released the ingredients of their cocktail and it became the main treatment. Then again, this is coming from dad who was trying to reduce my anger when I found out about the brain damage after going through MRIs and catscans just to be diagnosed with migraines for vision disturbances. DH and I would not put it past him to make up the story to try and make it a happy feel good ending after.