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What’s the youngest person to have MAC?
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: 5 days ago | Replies (29)Comment receiving replies
Hello! I am 34 and I was also just diagnosed with MAC cavitary lung disease. Process started in in September when my symptoms of wheezing and crackling in my chest started. CT scan and Xray showed a large 5cm cavitary hole and suspicious for TB. Ended up being negative for TB, took months to get the sputum tests back to show all 3 positive for MAC. They preformed a bronchoscopy to double confirm and ensure no secondary bacteria or cancer cells. They wanted to start me on IV therapy but with the risks we are starting on oral doses of antibiotics but that Dr is saying 2 years of this which sounds insane. And there is a consideration for removing a portion of my lung that is diseased because the size of the hole.Going to find a specialist to get a 2nd opinion.
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Welcome to our helpful group. Can you tell us a bit more about your lungs - have you got bronchiectasis, asthma, Cystic Fibrosis or another lung condition? Do you have a history of pneumonia or other lung infections?
If I were you, I would certainly seek a pulmonologist experienced in treating MAC - this is a rare infection, and extremely rare for someone your age, so it is important to get the best help possible to beat the infection and learn how to avoid reinfection.
The hole in your lung is referred to as a cavity, and these sometimes close up when the infection is controlled, so unless it is particularly severe, or the infection is isolated to only that area, I would hesitate to do it before trying antibiotic therapy.
Finally, yes, 18-24 months is the typical length of time to take the 3 or 4 antibiotics for MAC. Mycobacteria are very slow-growing, and good at hiding in biofilm where they are difficult to kill.
This discussion contains lots of good links to information about MAC:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/resources-for-the-abcs-on-bronchiectasis-and-mac-ntm/