Hi @machelp, I don’t have MAC but I’ve had to be on antibiotics longterm and also, recently developed C-diff while on another antibiotic.
If you have watery stools you should have a sample lab tested for C-diff. That requires another type of antibiotic specific to the C-Diff bacteria. To get a collection kit, call your doctor for a lab order. You may need to stop by the lab to pick up the kit to take home, and then return the next day with the sample.
If C-diff is ruled out, start eating a good quality, live culture Greek yogurt daily such as Chobani. Preferably plain yogurt. Fruity yogurts contain too much sugar. You can add fresh fruit or small amounts of jam, juice, to give it flavor. You control the sugar that way. Even Activia can do in a pinch to help restore normal gut flora. But it is important to have active yogurt cultures.
Also, eating pre and pro-biotics daily can really help ramp up the suffering gut biome depleted by the antibiotics.
Prebiotics allow your gut bacteria to produce nutrients for your colon cells, which leads to a healthier digestive system. Here is a great article with a list of prebiotic foods.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-best-prebiotic-foods
And a list of healthy pro-biotic foods https://www.verywellhealth.com/probiotic-foods-7970825
It’s also a good idea when you have diarrhea to avoid milk and dairy products. Yogurt is an exception because the lactose is neutralized in the process of making the yogurt. Kefir is another great product for gut biome. However, if you’re not used to it, the side effects can be a bit troublesome with serious gas and bloating.
I hope you find some improvement soon! Have you been tested for C-diff?
Lori,
Thank you so much for your comments and advice. Yes, my ID physician tested me for C-diff, and it was negative. I take so much medicine that I am so relieved that I can try to include prebiotic and probiotic foods to my diet to ease my gut symptoms rather than take more medicine to help with the side effects of the antibiotics I am taking to cure me of MAC. I looked at a carton of yogurt at the store today, and it listed 6 live cultures. I am thinking that is the type of yogurt I need to buy so I will start with that. My doctor advised me to eat more fiber, which I have been trying to do; the the diarrhea is still quite evident. I bought some oatmeal, an apple, and a banana and plan to make some oatmeal apple banana muffins to help with my gut issues. Hopefully, eating the muffins along with some yogurt that has live cultures, my diarrhea issues will subside. Thank you so much, and wish me luck. I only weigh 70 lbs so can't afford to lose any more weight from my bouts with diarrhea.