Hi Barbara -
I know this is all so frustrating. At the time of my diagnosis, I turned out to be suffering from low iron, which I never had in my life. I also read that MAC thrives on iron, and I tried to do more research on it but I couldn’t find much at all. I believe the MAC infection was the cause of iron deficiency. I was experiencing a kind of dizziness/vertigo every night. I thought maybe I had an inner ear infection from Covid, but the ENT found nothing and suggested I see a neurologist and have a brain work up!. My hunch, supported by my research, was that it was the iron deficiency, so I decided to wait and see how I felt after being on it for a couple of months. It made all the difference in the world! I now check it from time to time to make sure I’m still good and that MAC hasn’t depleted me once again. I can’t imagine that getting the infusion was bad for you if you needed to replenish your stores, but of course I do not have the expertise to say. I liken my body now to an older car (not that I’m so old - I’m only 61). You can get away with things like not checking your oil or using a so-so mechanic who only knows the basics with a new car in top condition, but with older cars, one really needs a skilled mechanic who understands the inner-workings of all the bits that make the engine go. I think the same is true for our bodies, but not many doctors have or will take the time to look at the overall organism with an eye toward maintaining the delicate balance between all the moving parts. It’s frustrating for sure - thank God for the Internet and our ability to research so much on our own and advocate for ourselves. And of course thank God and Mayo Clinic for this forum. Can you imagine if we didn’t have these???
Hang in there, Barbara!