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If you can get into the clinical trial, that would be great. I agree with treating while young -because your whole system is stronger, BUT "watch and wait" is a valid treatment method for asymptomatic MAC, little or no lung damage, NTM related or otherwise. This is not really "not treating" but treating conservatively first.
That is, IF you can commit to a daily airway clearance routine for 6 months. You may be able to beat this without antibiotic therapy. If not, or if things get worse before 6 months, you can always start antibiotics.
Why do I think this? Risks of side effects from the antibiotic therapy are not insignificant, no matter your age. And because we are learning that if you need a "second round" of therapy in a few years, you are at much higher risk of adverse reaction to two of the drugs - Rifampin and Ethambutol. Finally, we are in very hopeful stage right now, with a number of new therapies on the horizon, which will hopefully not require 18-24 month of 3 antibiotics.
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Thank you! @sueinmn,
Your perspective on this is really helpful. I was curious about how successive rounds of antibiotics might affect me and how effective or ineffective they might become if one has to repeat for whatever infections might take hold (which seems like a probable outcome with this thing).
I can commit (and have been at least for the past three months now) Airway clearance with 2x a day nebulizer and Aerobika but I still do cough up stuff—sometimes small yellow bits so might just make sense to get treated. I met with the GI doc today and will have the PH test done with next month so fingers crossed that GERD isn't another factor to consider.
All a bit confounding but will mull it over with my doctor but leaning towards being treated now in hopes that I can mostly ward off anything serious with consistent airway clearance. Also trying to balance out how many CTs I have since I have many years ahead on this journey and don't want to get constant radiation even low-dose.
Thank you again!
Kate