ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to analyse and understand meanings and senses of living with tuberculosis for health professionals.Method/designThis is an interpretative phenomenological study conducted from in-depth interviews to analyse how health professionals understand their personal experience of tuberculosis.ScenarioTwo reference health institutions for tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment located in a municipality of the Eastern Brazilian Amazon.ParticipantsIntentional sample of 15 health professionals with the disease or with a recent history of tuberculosis.ResultsRegarding the personal experience of tuberculosis of the participating health professionals, four superordinate themes were identified: (1) experiencing tuberculosis, (2) experiencing the diagnosis of tuberculosis, (3) facing the treatment of tuberculosis and (4) signifying tuberculosis.ConclusionThis study verified that health professionals live the experience of tuberculosis similar to other people: with fear, anguish, frustration, prejudice and health needs not always met by the services and programmes for the control of the disease. The lived experience has an important impact on the health professionals’ ways of understanding the kind of empathic and sensitive care that should be provided to people with tuberculosis. In addition, it is concluded that specific governmental strategies are needed for tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment among health professionals.