I thought there are specific assay that can test for TB in Malaysia? I forgot what's call.

I see.

Weaken as in due to heavy antibiotics causing side effects. Because I heard the pharmacy doctor say
will cause pee orange, skin rash and sticky sweat...



Well we actually visit private first, then also go to GH as back up and go there get cheaper medication.

Private Hospital did some biopsy on the body organ and sent to outsourced pathology lab, report come out have some bacteria that looks like TB in the slides. (not sure the actual way to describe this)
Then my parents took the report to GH as well, doctors suspect it is TB, then send to IPR do Chest X-Ray. But nothing in lungs, seems healthy.
The we thought might be Latent-TB become active in other parts of body when my father get UTI. (My father did surgery in GH to remove a mass on his nose in January, I wonder is it at surgery there tools not clean get infection la.)

After first visit at IPR, they told my dad start 6 month long treatment, I feel something not right in the procedure. Go to the private hospital on the same day hear second opinion from the doctor.
Private Doctor advise he will request from pathology lab to do slide reading again, confirmed it isn't TB, and told us not to take the TB medication at the mean time.
So we just follow private doctor's instruction.

Then we just go back IPR told them, we don't want to take medication until the culture say positive for TB then only start take medication....
But IPR never came back with culture results despite my dad did few blood and sputum collections in GH and IPR...
So we kinda gave up on Government Healthcare side...

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But 6 months later TS, you finished your TB Medication, but negative from the initial culture (first sputum) sample. Then I feel weird lah, since initial Mantoux Test you say positive edi, kinda weird they can't grow it...
If you say 6 month later, you did another sputum test, the lab didn't managed to grow the TB sample, that one would be normal, means you cleared from TB.

"A normal sputum culture can take 1 to 8 weeks to provide results. A rapid sputum test can tell if a person has TB within 24 hours."

If active TB, go take CRP and ESR. It will be elevated. If want more specific take Ca-125 blood. It's a tumour marker for ovary cancer.
But if it is raised along likely it's TB.

TB takes like 2 months to grow and another 2 months for antibiotic sentivitiy.

Wear n95 or those kf94 mask. Make sure it's properly sealed.
Even though clear, can reactive again many years down the road. Just get ready for it. In the mean time load up on vitamin D and go into the sun. Vitamin D and sunshine helps the body to prevent and speed up recovery process.

Most Malaysians should have been vaccinated with BCG during their schooling years which should provide some protection against TB. Unfortunately there are many foreign workers in Malaysia and their pay/living conditions are bad which pushes up the overall TB prevalence rate 10x that of western countries.

Foreign workers who came to Malaysia through the legal route have to go through FOMEMA screening which includes tests for TB and STDs, I saw it on the form and my servant had to have an x-ray done. But I'm not sure that was always the case and I think there is no requirement to get vaccinated which I think should be mandatory.