Side effects of protionamide are manifested from the gastrointestinal tract, liver, skin, endocrine and nervous system.
On the part of the gastrointestinal tract: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dryness or hypersalivation, metallic taste in the mouth. After drug withdrawal, these phenomena, as a rule, quickly pass.
Often during the treatment there is a rise in the blood level of transaminases. Rare violations of liver function with signs of hepatitis and jaundice are rare.Hepatotoxicity of the drug depends on existing violations of the liver, such as liver damage due to alcoholism or after surgery. These side effects are noted especially in combination therapy with isoniazid, rifampicin and pyrazinamide.
Skin reactions are rare, in some cases described pellagro-like reactions, respectively, with a combination of skin manifestations and disorders from the central nervous system.
Sometimes there are violations of the endocrine system. Along with the development of hypoglycemia (a decrease in blood sugar of less than 50 mg%) in diabetic patients, the development of gynecomastia (an increase in mammary glands in men) is described. Rarely there is a violation of the menstrual cycle and impotence, as well as hypothyroidism (a decrease in thyroid function).
Prothionamide can rarely cause damage to the peripheral and central nervous systems.
In a combination with isoniazid cases of polyneuropathy are described. Taking protionamide can cause dizziness, headaches, weakness, impaired concentration, mental disorders. Rarely, optic neuritis, tachycardia.Simultaneous reception of other antituberculosis drugs acting on the central nervous system, such as isoniazid and cycloserine, can lead to an increase in side effects from the central nervous system. The same effect can have a simultaneous reception of alcohol.
In some cases, allergic reactions and disorders of the bone marrow are described.