Instead, they should take rifabutin. Rifabutin can be used with indinavir or nelfinavir, but should not be used with saquinavir or ritonavir. Protease inhibitor doses may need to be increased when using rifabutin. The Importance of Adherence Symptoms of TB disease usually improve after 3-4 weeks of treatment, but people must continue to take their full course of drugs in order to kill all bacteria and to prevent a relapse or the development of drug resistance. Regular monthly follow-up should be done to ensure that the drugs are working.
Many people find it difficult to adhere to such a long course of treatment.
A system called directly observed therapy, or DOT, is often used. A healthcare worker, family members or community outreach worker watches to see that the person with TB takes their drugs properly. DOT is used for both preventive therapy and treatment of active TB disease.