Abstract:

We retrospectively evaluated the use of disulfiram among alcoholic patients being treated for active tuberculosis. There were 13 alcoholics treated with disulfiram, 105 alcoholics not on disulfiram, and 249 non-alcoholics. Rates of toxicity were higher among alcoholics than among non-alcoholics (58% vs. 32%), but there was no difference between alcoholics taking and those not taking disulfiram (61% vs. 57%). There were no neurological side effects in the disulfiram group. Disulfiram appeared to be safe when added to intermittent, directly observed isoniazid-containing tuberculosis treatment, and was useful in managing complications of alcohol abuse. However, the small number of patients on disulfiram limits the strength of this negative finding.

Keywords: disulfiram; isoniazid; drug-drug interaction; alcohol abuse; neurotoxicity; hepatotoxicity

Language: English

Document Type: Short communication

Affiliations: 1: Denver Public Health Department, and Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases), University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, USA 2: Denver Public Health Department, Denver, Colorado, USA