Penn Medicine/Rifampin

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I'd also like to point out the benefit of sharing here in the support group where you all receive support and information from several people and learn from each other. And other people with a similar diagnosis will join in. 🙂

I only do one azithromycin but two of the others. Like others have mentioned as if you can do one of the meds week one, add in the second week two then the third week three. Probiotics should be started right away. I did initially cut the erythromycin in half to make it easier to swallow and take the Rifubutin with a spoonful of applesauce but now just swallow with water. My Dr has me space these out but I know others take them all at the same time. I do usually take with food as it seems to help but find I really have to time meals and snacks around my medication schedule.

I was diagnosed with BE and MAC early last year. I have the same dosage of pills, 3 days/week. I've been fully on the meds since October 1. I staggered intro of drugs over 3 weeks, as suggested elsewhere in the thread. I also need to coordinate with my thyroid med (min 4 hours between levothyroxine and rifampin). I am lucky and grateful that I've experienced very minimal side effects.
I take thyroid pill when I first get up, then wait for an hour or so before breakfast (usually a bowl of oatmeal to coat stomach). I take the azithromycin and ethambutol (4 pills) with a large glass of water (swallowing one pill at a time). I need 4 hours between my thyroid pill and rifampin - so I wait about 3 hours before I take the rifampin with another glass of water. I then wait for an hour and eat my next meal. It takes some planning but I've made it work. I try to remember to drink water throughout the day, to flush kidneys.
I've been lucky in that I have very minimal side effects (e.g. very occasionally some GI issues, and I have experienced the rash). I eat yogurt and drink Kefir daily, and occasionally take probiotics.
Hope this helps.

I take 7 pills a 3/week. For me, spacing them out doesn’t work well at all. It just makes me feel terrible for longer. I take them all with frozen yogurt in the morning. I think you just have to experiment and see what works best for you.

Today is last day of antibiotis😊 hoping to not feeling so nauseated and burning stomach all the time

👍

Well cheers to us! Hope it goes well 😊

Thanks so much!

Thank you.
How long do you wait to take pills after you have oatmeal?
I saw Pulmonologist today.
He said the azithromycin has the least side effects.
Maybe I could take that after breakfast and the other two in evening after dinner.
Right now I'm waiting because have UTI so another antibiotic for that. Started that tonight.
Nitrofurantoin Mono-MCR.
Sitting here reading prescription information and a rare side effect is very serious lung problems. I guess I'll be calling nurse in the morning.
This stuff can wear on your mind. At least did a lot of walking. Two different appointments lots of distance between them.

I'm 7 months in for the big 3. I take them 7 days a week. The first 6 weeks were brutal, but I adjusted. I spaced them as I began taking them a week apart. Rifabutin was definitely the hardest to adjust to. The Rifabutin also caused me to not sleep well, so I take it with breakfast along with my ethambotol. I take azithromycin right after I eat dinner. My doctor told me to try different times, this is what works for me. I have very few symptoms now. Some acid reflux but I watch my diet to help with that. I drank a lot of ginger tea (with honey and cinnamon) to help with the nausea in the beginning. I can tell you that I'm glad I'm on the drugs! I feel better on them and my ctscan shows improvement.
Good luck!