Bronchectasis, MAC and abdominal pain

I also experienced abdominal pain. I switched from taking the meds in the morning to taking them in the evening and was able to tolerate them much better. Best wishes for some good advice for you.

I have always taken my antibiotics in the evening and with food. Probiotics in the morning. The pain started late July. Yesterday I was experiencing less pain but still there so out of frustration I went to the ER. Blood work was done and urine and a CT with contrast. No answers still. I had no pain in er but it’s back today. I wonder if I stopped taking Mac meds, would the pain be gone.

I'm sorry to hear you are experiencing abdominal pain but it is good to learn that I'm not alone in this. I was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis and MAC last fall. I have been on the MAC drugs since January and started having chronic lower left abdominal pain in March. I was told that I had a mild case of diverticulitis and prescribed antibiotics. It went away but I continue to have ongoing pain. I see a pulmonologist, infectious disease doctor, gastroenterologist, and my primary care doc. A recent ultrasound ruled out issues related to ovaries, etc., although I do have enlarged pelvic veins in that area. My GI practice tells me to go on a clear liquid diet for 24-36 hours if I have pain. I have done that a number of times but it makes weight loss worse and makes it harder to tolerate the MAC drugs. I have been told to go the ER or urgent care if the pain gets worse, and I have done that several times only to be told I may have some colitis or it could be muscular/skeletal. They always want to do a CT with contrast scan which I don't want to unless absolutely necessary. It has all been further complicated by developing steroid induced osteonecrosis in my left hip, for which I had a total hip replacement in May. I, too, am taking anti-spasmodics and living on ES Tylenol and sometimes Tramadol to sleep. I have had to stop and restart the MAC drugs to treat the diverticulitis flare up and then for several weeks after hip surgery. Every time I start back up, the pain comes back with it. I firmly believe there is link between the havoc the MAC drugs cause to my digestive system and the chronic pain even if they are aggravating another condition like IBS or IBD. I woke up at 3:30 this morning weeping with pain and frustration. I will continue to work with my doctors but it doesn't help when one of their PAs tells me I am "having a lot of bad luck" as that has been obvious. I hope you get better answers more quickly than I have been able to do and wish you healing and hope.

I'm sorry to hear you are experiencing abdominal pain but it is good to learn that I'm not alone in this. I was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis and MAC last fall. I have been on the MAC drugs since January and started having chronic lower left abdominal pain in March. I was told that I had a mild case of diverticulitis and prescribed antibiotics. It went away but I continue to have ongoing pain. I see a pulmonologist, infectious disease doctor, gastroenterologist, and my primary care doc. A recent ultrasound ruled out issues related to ovaries, etc., although I do have enlarged pelvic veins in that area. My GI practice tells me to go on a clear liquid diet for 24-36 hours if I have pain. I have done that a number of times but it makes weight loss worse and makes it harder to tolerate the MAC drugs. I have been told to go the ER or urgent care if the pain gets worse, and I have done that several times only to be told I may have some colitis or it could be muscular/skeletal. They always want to do a CT with contrast scan which I don't want to unless absolutely necessary. It has all been further complicated by developing steroid induced osteonecrosis in my left hip, for which I had a total hip replacement in May. I, too, am taking anti-spasmodics and living on ES Tylenol and sometimes Tramadol to sleep. I have had to stop and restart the MAC drugs to treat the diverticulitis flare up and then for several weeks after hip surgery. Every time I start back up, the pain comes back with it. I firmly believe there is link between the havoc the MAC drugs cause to my digestive system and the chronic pain even if they are aggravating another condition like IBS or IBD. I woke up at 3:30 this morning weeping with pain and frustration. I will continue to work with my doctors but it doesn't help when one of their PAs tells me I am "having a lot of bad luck" as that has been obvious. I hope you get better answers more quickly than I have been able to do and wish you healing and hope.

All I can say is I am so sorry you are going through this. My heart aches for you. Being told you are having bad luck is hardly a consolation. It is probably the MAC meds in my opinion. Your ID doctor might want to suggest Arikayce which is an alternative for patients who are intolerant to the oral meds. I will pray for you- and I mean that with all my heart. You are going through too much. irene5