Myambutol contains ethambutol, an antimycobacterial agent within the anti-tuberculosis class, and is registered in 12 countries spanning Western Europe, North America, South Asia, and Oceania. It is used in the management of tuberculosis, including pulmonary tuberculosis, where it forms part of the multi-drug regimens that have long been standard in this therapeutic area.
Ethambutol is one of the established anti-tuberculosis molecules and is rarely used on its own. Tuberculosis treatment internationally is built around combinations of antimycobacterial agents, and ethambutol-containing products like Myambutol typically sit alongside other drugs in that backbone. The structured indication block further down this page lists the registered uses recognised in the markets where Myambutol is sold.
The 12-country footprint includes Australia, France, India, the United States, and Switzerland, among others. Travellers and expatriates moving between these markets will generally find ethambutol available, although the brand on the package may differ — in some countries Myambutol is the recognised name, while in others ethambutol is dispensed under a generic label or a different commercial name. National tuberculosis programmes also handle supply, prescribing, and follow-up differently from one country to another, which matters for any patient continuing treatment across borders.
Other antimycobacterial agents in the same broader class are used worldwide as part of standard tuberculosis regimens, and ethambutol itself circulates internationally under several brand names beyond Myambutol. A local pharmacist or the relevant national TB service can confirm what is available in a given country and how prescriptions issued elsewhere are honoured locally. Because tuberculosis therapy is closely supervised and adherence-sensitive, any change of brand, formulation, or regimen should be made with the healthcare provider managing the patient's treatment rather than independently at the point of travel.
No information provided.
ETHAMBUTOL HCl is contraindicated in patients who are known to be hypersensitive to this drug. It is also contraindicated in patients with known optic neuritis unless clinical judgment determines that it may be used. ETHAMBUTOL HCl is contraindicated in patients who are unable to appreciate and report visual side effects or changes in vision (e.g., young children, unconscious patients).
MYAMBUTOL may produce decreases in visual acuity, including irreversible blindness, which appear to be due to optic neuritis. Optic neuropathy including optic neuritis or retrobulbar neuritis occurring in association with ethambutol therapy may be characterized by one or more of the following events: decreased visual acuity, scotoma, color blindness, and/or visual defect. These events have also been reported in the absence of a diagnosis of optic or retrobulbar neuritis.
Patients should be advised to report promptly to their physician any change of visual acuity.
The change in visual acuity may be unilateral or bilateral and hence each eye must be tested separately and both eyes tested together. Testing of visual acuity should be performed before beginning MYAMBUTOL therapy and periodically during drug administration, except that it should be done monthly when a patient is on a dosage of more than 15 mg per kilogram per day. Snellen eye charts are recommended for testing of visual acuity. Studies have shown that there are definite fluctuations of one or two lines of the Snellen chart in the visual acuity of many tuberculous patients not receiving MYAMBUTOL.
The following table may be useful in interpreting possible changes in visual acuity attributable to MYAMBUTOL.
| Initial Snellen Reading | Reading Indicating Significant Decrease | Significant Number of Lines | Decrease Number of Points |
| 20/13 | 20/25 | 3 | 12 |
| 20/15 | 20/25 | 2 | 10 |
| 20/20 | 20/30 | 2 | 10 |
| 20/25 | 20/40 | 2 | 15 |
| 20/30 | 20/50 | 2 | 20 |
| 20/40 | 20/70 | 2 | 30 |
| 20/50 | 20/70 | 1 | 20 |
In general, changes in visual acuity less than those indicated under “Significant Number of Lines” and “Decrease Number of Points” may be due to chance variation, limitations of the testing method, or physiologic variability. Conversely, changes in visual acuity equaling or exceeding those under “Significant Number of Lines” and “Decrease Number of Points” indicate need for retesting and careful evaluation of the patient's visual status. If careful evaluation confirms the magnitude of visual change and fails to reveal another cause, MYAMBUTOL should be discontinued and the patient reevaluated at frequent intervals. Progressive decreases in visual acuity during therapy must be considered to be due to MYAMBUTOL.
If corrective glasses are used prior to treatment, these must be worn during visual acuity testing. During 1 to 2 years of therapy, a refractive error may develop which must be corrected in order to obtain accurate test results. Testing the visual acuity through a pinhole eliminates refractive error. Patients developing visual abnormality during MYAMBUTOL treatment may show subjective visual symptoms before, or simultaneously with, the demonstration of decreases in visual acuity, and all patients receiving MYAMBUTOL should be questioned periodically about blurred vision and other subjective eye symptoms.
Recovery of visual acuity generally occurs over a period of weeks to months after the drug has been discontinued. Some patients have received MYAMBUTOL (ethambutol hydrochloride) again after such recovery without recurrence of loss of visual acuity. Other adverse reactions reported include: hypersensitivity, anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reaction, dermatitis, erythema multiforme, pruritus, and joint pain; anorexia, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal upset, and abdominal pain; fever, malaise, headache, and dizziness; mental confusion, disorientation, and possible hallucinations; thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and neutropenia. Numbness and tingling of the extremities due to peripheral neuritis have been reported. Elevated serum uric acid levels occur and precipitation of acute gout has been reported. Pulmonary infiltrates, with or without eosinophilia, also have been reported during MYAMBUTOL therapy. Liver toxicities, including fatalities, have been reported. (See WARNINGS). Since MYAMBUTOL is recommended for therapy in conjunction with one or more other antituberculous drugs, these changes may be related to the concurrent therapy. Hypersensitivity syndrome consisting of cutaneous reaction (such as rash or exfoliative dermatitis), eosinophilia, and one or more of the following: hepatitis, pneumonitis, nephritis, myocarditis, pericarditis. Fever and lymphadenopathy may be present.
MYAMBUTOL is indicated for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. It should not be used as the sole antituberculous drug, but should be used in conjunction with at least one other antituberculous drug. Selection of the companion drug should be based on clinical experience, considerations of comparative safety, and appropriate in vitro susceptibility studies. In patients who have not received previous antituberculous therapy, ie, initial treatment, the most frequently used regimens have been the following:
MYAMBUTOL plus isoniazid
MYAMBUTOL plus isoniazid plus streptomycin.
In patients who have received previous antituberculous therapy, mycobacterial resistance to other drugs used in initial therapy is frequent. Consequently, in such retreatment patients, MYAMBUTOL should be combined with at least one of the second line drugs not previously administered to the patient and to which bacterial susceptibility has been indicated by appropriate in vitro studies. Antituberculous drugs used with MYAMBUTOL have included cycloserine, ethionamide, pyrazinamide, viomycin and other drugs. Isoniazid, aminosalicylic acid, and streptomycin have also been used in multiple drug regimens. Alternating drug regimens have also been utilized.
There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. There are reports of ophthalmic abnormalities occurring in infants born to women on antituberculous therapy that included MYAMBUTOL. MYAMBUTOL should be used during pregnancy only if the benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
MYAMBUTOL has been shown to be teratogenic in pregnant mice and rabbits when given in high doses. When pregnant mice or rabbits were treated with high doses of ethambutol hydrochloride, fetal mortality was slightly but not significantly (P > 0.05) increased. Female rats treated with ethambutol hydrochloride displayed slight but insignificant (P > 0.05) decreases in fertility and litter size. In fetuses born of mice treated with high doses of MYAMBUTOL during pregnancy, a low incidence of cleft palate, exencephaly and abnormality of the vertebral column were observed. Minor abnormalities of the cervical vertebra were seen in the newborn of rats treated with high doses of ethambutol hydrochloride during pregnancy. Rabbits receiving high doses of MYAMBUTOL during pregnancy gave birth to two fetuses with monophthalmia, one with a shortened right forearm accompanied by bilateral wrist-joint contracture and one with hare lip and cleft palate.
MYAMBUTOL may produce decreases in visual acuity which appear to be due to optic neuritis. This effect may be related to dose and duration of treatment. This effect is generally reversible when administration of the drug is discontinued promptly. However, irreversible blindness has been reported. (See PRECAUTIONS and ADVERSE REACTIONS).
Liver toxicities including fatalities have been reported (see ADVERSE REACTIONS). Baseline and periodic assessment of hepatic function should be performed.
PRECAUTIONSMYAMBUTOL ethambutol hydrochloride is not recommended for use in pediatric patients under thirteen years of age since safe conditions for use have not been established.
Patients with decreased renal function need the dosage reduced as determined by serum levels of MYAMBUTOL, since the main path of excretion of this drug is by the kidneys.
Because this drug may have adverse effects on vision, physical examination should include ophthalmoscopy, finger perimetry and testing of color discrimination. In patients with visual defects such as cataracts, recurrent inflammatory conditions of the eye, optic neuritis, and diabetic retinopathy, the evaluation of changes in visual acuity is more difficult, and care should be taken to be sure the variations in vision are not due to the underlying disease conditions. In such patients, consideration should be given to relationship between benefits expected and possible visual deterioration since evaluation of visual changes is difficult. (For recommended procedures, see next paragraphs under ADVERSE REACTIONS.)
As with any potent drug, baseline and periodic assessment of organ system functions, including renal, hepatic, and hematopoietic, should be performed.
Pregnancy Teratogenic Effects: Pregnancy Category C.There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. There are reports of ophthalmic abnormalities occurring in infants born to women on antituberculous therapy that included MYAMBUTOL. MYAMBUTOL should be used during pregnancy only if the benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
MYAMBUTOL has been shown to be teratogenic in pregnant mice and rabbits when given in high doses. When pregnant mice or rabbits were treated with high doses of ethambutol hydrochloride, fetal mortality was slightly but not significantly (P > 0.05) increased. Female rats treated with ethambutol hydrochloride displayed slight but insignificant (P > 0.05) decreases in fertility and litter size. In fetuses born of mice treated with high doses of MYAMBUTOL during pregnancy, a low incidence of cleft palate, exencephaly and abnormality of the vertebral column were observed. Minor abnormalities of the cervical vertebra were seen in the newborn of rats treated with high doses of ethambutol hydrochloride during pregnancy. Rabbits receiving high doses of MYAMBUTOL during pregnancy gave birth to two fetuses with monophthalmia, one with a shortened right forearm accompanied by bilateral wrist-joint contracture and one with hare lip and cleft palate.
Nursing MothersMYAMBUTOL is excreted into breast milk. The use of MYAMBUTOL should be considered only if the expected benefit to the mother outweighs the potential risk to the infant.
Pediatric UseMYAMBUTOL (ethambutol hydrochloride) is not recommended for use in pediatric patients under thirteen years of age since safe conditions for use have not been established.
Geriatric UseThere are limited data on the use of MYAMBUTOL in the elderly. One study of 101 patients, 65 years and older, on multiple drug antituberculosis regimens included 94 patients on MYAMBUTOL. No differences in safety or tolerability were observed in these patients compared with that reported in adults in general. Other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out.
MYAMBUTOL should not be used alone, in initial treatment or in retreatment. MYAMBUTOL should be administered on a once every 24-hour basis only. Absorption is not significantly altered by administration with food. Therapy, in general, should be continued until bacteriological conversion has become permanent and maximal clinical improvement has occurred.
MYAMBUTOL is not recommended for use in pediatric patients under thirteen years of age since safe conditions for use have not been established.
Initial Treatment: In patients who have not received previous antituberculous therapy, administer MYAMBUTOL 15 mg/kg (7 mg/lb) of body weight, as a single oral dose once every 24 hours. In the more recent studies, isoniazid has been administered concurrently in a single, daily, oral dose.
Retreatment: In patients who have received previous antituberculous therapy, administer MYAMBUTOL 25 mg/kg (11 mg/lb) of body weight, as a single oral dose once every 24 hours. Concurrently administer at least one other antituberculous drug to which the organisms have been demonstrated to be susceptible by appropriate in vitro tests. Suitable drugs usually consist of those not previously used in the treatment of the patient. After 60 days of MYAMBUTOL administration, decrease the dose to 15 mg/kg (7mg/lb) of body weight, and administer as a single oral dose once every 24 hours.
During the period when a patient is on a daily dose of 25 mg/kg, monthly eye examinations are advised.
See Table for easy selection of proper weight-dose tablet(s).
Weight-Dose Table
| 15 mg/kg (7 mg/lb) Schedule | ||
| Weight Range Pounds | Kilograms | Dose In mg |
| Under 85 lbs | Under 37 Kg | . 500 |
| 85 - 94.5 | 37 - 43 | . 600 |
| 95 - 109.5 | 43 - 50 | ..700 |
| 110- 124.5 | 50 - 57 | . 800 |
| 125- 139.5 | 57 - 64 | . 900 |
| 140- 154.5 | 64 - 71 | 1000 |
| 155- 169.5 | 71 - 79 | 1100 |
| 170 - 184.5 | 79 - 84 | 1200 |
| 185- 199.5 | 84 - 90 | 1300 |
| 200- 214.5 | 90 - 97 | 1400 |
| 215 and Over | Over 97 | 1500 |
| 25 mg/kg (11 mg/lb) Schedule | ||
| Under 85 lbs. | Under 38 kg | 900 |
| 85 - 92.5 | 38 - 42 | 1000 |
| 93 - 101.5 | 42 - 45.5 | 1100 |
| 102- 109.5 | 45.5 - 50 | 1200 |
| 110- 118.5 | 50 - 54 | 1300 |
| 119- 128.5 | 54 - 58 | 1400 |
| 129- 136.5 | 58 - 62 | 1500 |
| 137- 146.5 | 62 - 67 | 1600 |
| 147-155.5 | 67 - 71 | 1700 |
| 156- 164.5 | 71 - 75 | 1800 |
| 165- 173.5 | 75 - 79 | 1900 |
| 174- 182.5 | 79 - 83 | 2000 |
| 183- 191.5 | 83 - 87 | 2100 |
| 192- 199.5 | 87 - 91 | 2200 |
| 200- 209.5 | 91 - 95 | 2300 |
| 210- 218.5 | 95 - 99 | 2400 |
| 219 and Over | Over 99 | 2500 |
MYAMBUTOL may produce decreases in visual acuity, including irreversible blindness, which appear to be due to optic neuritis. Optic neuropathy including optic neuritis or retrobulbar neuritis occurring in association with ethambutol therapy may be characterized by one or more of the following events: decreased visual acuity, scotoma, color blindness, and/or visual defect. These events have also been reported in the absence of a diagnosis of optic or retrobulbar neuritis.
Patients should be advised to report promptly to their physician any change of visual acuity.
The change in visual acuity may be unilateral or bilateral and hence each eye must be tested separately and both eyes tested together. Testing of visual acuity should be performed before beginning MYAMBUTOL therapy and periodically during drug administration, except that it should be done monthly when a patient is on a dosage of more than 15 mg per kilogram per day. Snellen eye charts are recommended for testing of visual acuity. Studies have shown that there are definite fluctuations of one or two lines of the Snellen chart in the visual acuity of many tuberculous patients not receiving MYAMBUTOL.
The following table may be useful in interpreting possible changes in visual acuity attributable to MYAMBUTOL.
| Initial Snellen Reading | Reading Indicating Significant Decrease | Significant Number of Lines | Decrease Number of Points |
| 20/13 | 20/25 | 3 | 12 |
| 20/15 | 20/25 | 2 | 10 |
| 20/20 | 20/30 | 2 | 10 |
| 20/25 | 20/40 | 2 | 15 |
| 20/30 | 20/50 | 2 | 20 |
| 20/40 | 20/70 | 2 | 30 |
| 20/50 | 20/70 | 1 | 20 |
In general, changes in visual acuity less than those indicated under “Significant Number of Lines” and “Decrease Number of Points” may be due to chance variation, limitations of the testing method, or physiologic variability. Conversely, changes in visual acuity equaling or exceeding those under “Significant Number of Lines” and “Decrease Number of Points” indicate need for retesting and careful evaluation of the patient's visual status. If careful evaluation confirms the magnitude of visual change and fails to reveal another cause, MYAMBUTOL should be discontinued and the patient reevaluated at frequent intervals. Progressive decreases in visual acuity during therapy must be considered to be due to MYAMBUTOL.
If corrective glasses are used prior to treatment, these must be worn during visual acuity testing. During 1 to 2 years of therapy, a refractive error may develop which must be corrected in order to obtain accurate test results. Testing the visual acuity through a pinhole eliminates refractive error. Patients developing visual abnormality during MYAMBUTOL treatment may show subjective visual symptoms before, or simultaneously with, the demonstration of decreases in visual acuity, and all patients receiving MYAMBUTOL should be questioned periodically about blurred vision and other subjective eye symptoms.
Recovery of visual acuity generally occurs over a period of weeks to months after the drug has been discontinued. Some patients have received MYAMBUTOL (ethambutol hydrochloride) again after such recovery without recurrence of loss of visual acuity. Other adverse reactions reported include: hypersensitivity, anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reaction, dermatitis, erythema multiforme, pruritus, and joint pain; anorexia, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal upset, and abdominal pain; fever, malaise, headache, and dizziness; mental confusion, disorientation, and possible hallucinations; thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and neutropenia. Numbness and tingling of the extremities due to peripheral neuritis have been reported. Elevated serum uric acid levels occur and precipitation of acute gout has been reported. Pulmonary infiltrates, with or without eosinophilia, also have been reported during MYAMBUTOL therapy. Liver toxicities, including fatalities, have been reported. (See WARNINGS). Since MYAMBUTOL is recommended for therapy in conjunction with one or more other antituberculous drugs, these changes may be related to the concurrent therapy. Hypersensitivity syndrome consisting of cutaneous reaction (such as rash or exfoliative dermatitis), eosinophilia, and one or more of the following: hepatitis, pneumonitis, nephritis, myocarditis, pericarditis. Fever and lymphadenopathy may be present.
DRUG INTERACTIONSThe results of a study of coadministration of MYAMBUTOL (50mg/kg) with an aluminum hydroxide containing antacid to 13 patients with tuberculosis showed a reduction of mean serum concentrations and urinary excretion of ethambutol of approximately 20% and 13%, respectively, suggesting that the oral absorption of ethambutol may be reduced by these antacid products. It is recommended to avoid concurrent administration of ethambutol with aluminum hydroxide containing antacids for at least 4 hours following ethambutol administration.
Myambutol is prescribed for the management of tuberculosis, including pulmonary tuberculosis. Its active ingredient belongs to the antimycobacterial, anti-tuberculosis class and is typically used as part of a multi-drug regimen rather than alone, in line with how tuberculosis therapy is structured internationally. The structured indication section on this page lists each registered use in the markets where Myambutol is authorised.
Myambutol contains ethambutol, an antimycobacterial agent classified within the anti-tuberculosis category. Ethambutol is one of the long-established molecules used in tuberculosis combination therapy and is available internationally under several different brand names, including generic ethambutol products in markets where the original patent has expired and multiple manufacturers supply the molecule in parallel.
Myambutol is registered in 12 countries, including Australia, India, France, the United States, Switzerland, Sweden, and New Zealand. The footprint covers Western Europe, North America, South Asia, and Oceania. If your country is not on this list, ethambutol is very likely still available locally under a different brand name or as a generic, and a pharmacist or the national tuberculosis service can confirm what is supplied.
Ethambutol is sold under several brand names worldwide and is also widely available as a generic in markets where the original patent has expired. Other antimycobacterial agents are used alongside ethambutol in standard tuberculosis regimens, although they are not interchangeable with it — each plays a distinct role in the combination. To find a local ethambutol product, search the active ingredient on Pill2Trip or ask a pharmacist.
Yes. Myambutol is a prescription medication, and tuberculosis treatment in particular is closely supervised, adherence-sensitive, and built around multi-drug regimens calibrated to the individual patient. This matters especially for travellers and people relocating mid-treatment, since national TB programmes, prescription rules, and brand availability differ between countries. Any decision to start, continue, switch, or substitute ethambutol therapy should sit with the healthcare provider managing the case.
