Q: I am on Forecox and B-long since one month after detecting abdominal tuberculosis. Is this treatment called chemotherapy? I have done an HIV ELISA test last week and result was negative. Is there any chance of getting the result as false negative due to these medicines?

A:Chemotherapy generally refers to treatment of disease through chemicals that kill cells - specifically those of micro-organisms or cancer. In colloquial use, it usually refers to anticancer drugs used to treat cancer or the combination of these drugs into a standardised treatment regimen. Other than cancer, chemotherapy may also refer to antibiotic treatment - antibacterial or antitubercular treatment (ATT). Forecox contains a four-drug fixed dose combination of Rifampicin, INH, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol for treatment of TB. B-long contains high dose of vitamin B6 and folic acid to prevent some side effects of ATT. These medicines do not interfere with detection of HIV antibodies for diagnosis.