← Return to CT Scans vs Sputum Cultures, which is more important?

Discussion

CT Scans vs Sputum Cultures, which is more important?

MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Nov 9 8:35am | Replies (74)
Comment receiving replies
@blm1007blm1007

To Renee....and Healthy Bon or all who read regarding the last question.
This post of yours was over a year ago and as well was Healhybon. I would be interested in knowing what you and healtybon have done since Jul 2023.
What have you been taking, doing etc since then, per supplements (anything new), medications, and possibly food choices due to med's and health condition(s).?
How are you and healthybon doing?
I anticipate starting azthromycin and ethambutol as the doctor prescribedHad my hearing baseline and will have eye baseline this week.....(both baseline tests not suggested by my BE specialist but did so due to the good information on this site).....before possibly starting the meds. I have MAI per sputum tests and bronchoscope exam. It has been a year since finding out I had MAI. I have not felt unwell just lots of stuff that I have to clear out....mucus/mucus plugs. My PFT is all good. The clearing mucus goes on all day long practically.
My concern and question:
If one doesn't take the med's does it just cause other negative affects in the lungs?
Barbara

Jump to this post

Replies to "To Renee....and Healthy Bon or all who read regarding the last question. This post of yours..."
healthybon | @healthybon | Nov 7 6:15am

I just saw your post.
I have not taken the antibiotics. They make me very sick, and I also get C Diff. I have had Mac and Bx for two years now.

I nebulize two times daily with Levabuterol and. 7% Saline..morning and night. I also do a procedure called “the squeeze”, that I learned from watching a video on the blog LUNG MATTERS. When I do this, I get up a lot if mucus that nebulizing does not get up. I do it once or twice daily.

It is VERY important to do these things on a daily basis…because our lungs do not work properly in terms of getting the secretions out every day. Because the sticky mucus is in there, it stops the little hairlike things in the lungs from moving the gunk out, so, we have to do it ourselves.

If we do not keep our lungs cleared out daily, we are leaving, in there, an environment for bacteria to grow, hence INFECTION COMES.

I also get sputum samples done once a month, AFB and one that shows if there is infection. VERY IMPORTANT to keep track of this. I get a CT scan done at least once a year at which time the dr compares it to the year before. I have NTM and bronchiectstasis.

So far, this regimen I am on is working. Before I started this strict routine, I was in two stints in the hospital for five days each with infection.

Feel free to message me anytime if you need to…..

VIEW AND REPLY