Primary Complex

Last June 24, 2012, a lymph node was felt on my son's left neck. We immediately brought him to his pedia. His pedia then consulted a pedia surgeon regarding this because there were signs of sickness observed on my son. He's active and healthy. He is continually gaining weight, no cough, no colds, no any manifestation of viral infection. We both agreed that my son's lymph node is nothing to worry about. However, to be sure of what is really the cause of that lymph node, my son was given antibiotic, the one stronger than amoxicillin to be taken for 7 days, then the Pedia Surgeon advised for an xray exam to be after he finishes his antibiotic.

He had an xray exam on September 5, 2012, and to our surprise, the result was "Suggestive Primary Koch's Infection." On September 13, a PPD (skin test) was given on him. It was heartmelting to see my son cry so hard because of the pain as the needle penetrates his skin, his doctor even cried to see him in this way for the very first time, since my son has not been crying during his vaccinations. The following day, I saw the injection site grew into a raised red rash, right there and then, without consulting the pedia yet, I knew he is positive for primary complex. On September 8, when the pedia saw and measured the rash, she confirmed it is a positive primary complex.

The medicines prescribed were to be taken before meals or an hour after meal:

1. Isoniazid + Pyridoxine HCl Natricin® Forte 200 mg/5 mL Apple Flavor- 3ml (dosage for my son)

2. Rifampicin Natricin® Forte 200 mg/5 mL 3. Pyrazinamide 5ml Strawberry Flavor (dosage for my son)

3. Pyrazinamide Zcure® 250mg/5mL - 7.5ml Banana Flavor(dosage for my son)

I have read in a blog that it's cheaper to buy the medicine in set, so I bought Kidz Kit 3 by Natrapharm which costs Php495.00. Good buy, because my husband bought the Rifampicin alone and it costs at around Php356.00.

Three days of taking the medicines, my son seemed to have been traumatized already that he's vomiting the medicines, and the moment he sees the bottle or the syringe-like medicine dropper, he cries and keeps on running away. I asked his pedia if there is any other way of treating my son's primary complex, any injectibles available or whatever, but she said "Sad to say, only that."

Where did he get the Primary Complex? I don't know. All the members of the family had an x-ray exam to check from whom did my son acquire the disease...but all of us are clear. So from whom did he get it? I don't know, I really don't know. Reality is, I can't trap my son inside a balloon and create a world only for him that is free from bacteria, viruses, and harm...I just wish I could.

Nevertheless, I still give credit to Usanimals that my son has a strong immune system, so the disease did not have any manifestation on him. Though it is what they call "Latent" tuberculosis, it's still not comforting to know that there is this some kind of bacteria inside my son's body, a bacteria that can become active anytime his immune system weakens.