What is the purpose of saline

Posted by lorrainewenn @lorrainewenn, Apr 1 8:21pm

What is the purpose of Saline for MAC management? I do ACT twice a day with 7% saline. I typically cough up a lot of mucus. Still not on antibiotics, in the watchful waiting phase.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

NYU Langone health clinical trial status currently is still open. Anyone is interested. It seems that European countries have done some research in this area, including it in the treatment guideline.
The trial ---- Hypertonic Saline for Treatment of Pulmonary Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) Diseaserecruitment
https://clinicaltrials.med.nyu.edu/clinicaltrial/1804/hypertonic-saline-treatment-pulmonary/?section=elg
Ling

REPLY
@scoop

For general pulmonologists who do not specialize in bronchiectasis with or without MAC, this seems a typical response that you "don't need 7%". Same happened with me. Finally, I convinced them to let me give 7% a trial. It made a big difference in clearance for me.

Jump to this post

Thanks, I do think this is the case with my pulmonologist but he does seem quite knowledgable about Bronchiectasis and MAC. I sent him the study and asked for him to reconsider.

REPLY
@lorrainewenn

This is exactly what I was looking for! I’m a science nerd so I will study this and see if this article provides guidance on how long it might take for 7% saline, twice per day, to reduce MAC avium concentration in the lungs.

Jump to this post

While you're at it -- I refer to your planned study as to the effectiveness of 7% saline twice per day, please also let us know the once-per-day effectiveness.

REPLY
@equanimous

From the research I have read, saline provides an inhospitable environment for MAC bacteria which helps slow down its growth. It has additional benefits but, for me, that is the most important attribute since I am not choosing to take the Big 3 antibiotics.

Jump to this post

How long have been diagnosed with Mac?

REPLY
@suzanne11

How long have been diagnosed with Mac?

Jump to this post

Since 2019.

REPLY

No antibiotics?

I have been diagnosed since 12/2022. I have not taking antibiotics yet, but every month I get a really bad infection. I don't cough, but I have a lot of green sputum. I feel so sick. 🙁

REPLY
@sueinmn

@sadair20 & @lorrainewenn - Here is the link to the most used study of hypertonic saline and Mycobacteria.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4850692/pdf/13104_2016_Article_2054.pdf
Feel free to read the entire discussion, but pay special attention to Table 2 on page 4. They grew various strains on plates in the lab, with varying concentrations of saline on the medium. By the time they reached 7% almost none of the strains was able to reproduce. Table 3 on page 5 also shows the sizes of the colonies that were able to grow at various concentrations - they decreased significantly at 5% saline and above.

Sue

Jump to this post

Thanks for this study. It confirms my gut feeling about salt therapy. I used to go to a salt therapy clinic, where you would sit in a room for a half hour and breathe the salt vapors in the air. I wasn't sure if it was working and I stopped. Now I wish I continued.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.