ethambutol hydrochloride at a glance
Medicine class
Antimycobacterial antibiotic with bacteriostatic activity.
Usual role
Used with other effective anti-tuberculosis medicines.
Food
May be taken with or without food.
Key safety issue
New visual changes require urgent assessment.
What is ethambutol hydrochloride used for?
Licensed and specialist uses include:
Primary treatment and re-treatment of tuberculosis, always with other effective anti-tuberculosis medicines.
The selected product is also licensed for prophylaxis in inactive tuberculosis or a large tuberculin-positive reaction.
Specialist combination treatment for some non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections; this is outside the selected product's licence.
How does ethambutol hydrochloride work?
Ethambutol inhibits mycobacterial arabinosyltransferases, disrupting production of cell-envelope components and suppressing bacterial multiplication.
ethambutol hydrochloride preparations and strengths
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 100 mg, 400 mg
How to take ethambutol hydrochloride
Take ethambutol exactly as prescribed as part of the full combination treatment. It may be taken with or without food. Do not stop because you feel better unless the treating team advises this, except when urgent visual or serious reaction advice applies.
Tell the team promptly if swallowing the tablets is difficult rather than altering them yourself.
Avoid aluminium-hydroxide antacids because they can reduce absorption.
ethambutol hydrochloride side effects
Common or expected effects
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or reduced appetite during multidrug treatment, although ethambutol may not be the sole cause.
- Rash or itching.
- Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet.
Get urgent medical advice
- Optic neuritis: blurred, dim or lost vision, reduced visual sharpness, colour-vision changes, visual-field defects or eye pain.
- Severe allergic reaction, including breathing difficulty or facial swelling.
- Severe skin reactions with blistering, peeling, ulcers, fever or swollen glands.
- Possible hepatitis: jaundice, abdominal pain, loss of appetite or marked general illness.
- Unusual bruising, bleeding or signs of a blood-cell disorder.
ethambutol hydrochloride in pregnancy
The selected UK product information does not recommend ethambutol during pregnancy unless the expected maternal benefit outweighs possible risks. Tuberculosis during pregnancy requires prompt specialist assessment; do not stop prescribed treatment without discussing it with the treating team.
ethambutol hydrochloride while breastfeeding
Ethambutol has been detected in breastfed infants. The selected UK product information recommends breastfeeding only when its benefits are judged to outweigh possible risks. A TB specialist and maternity or infant-care team should assess this.
ethambutol hydrochloride interactions
The selected product identifies one clinically important absorption interaction:
Aluminium-hydroxide antacids
They may reduce ethambutol absorption and should be avoided during treatment; ask a pharmacist about an alternative.
Common questions about ethambutol hydrochloride
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Why is ethambutol hydrochloride given with other tuberculosis antibiotics?
Combination treatment improves activity against tuberculosis and reduces the risk of resistant organisms emerging; ethambutol should not be used alone.
Can ethambutol hydrochloride affect eyesight?
Yes. It can cause optic neuritis, leading to blurred or dim vision, altered colour perception or visual-field loss. Stop it and contact the specialist team urgently if these occur.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.