Chinese herbal medicine support for MAC treatment

Thanks Kathy. Coptis is in the berberine family, which might be easier to find in the west. The study authors concluded that coptis or berberine should be equally effective when paired with antibiotics. Peace and best wishes.

Thanks Kathy - this is a preliminary study - outside the body. I have been searching for any more recent that show effects within the body.
The bad news is - nothing new that I can access.

The good news is that this herb, also known as berberine, seems to have good effects at enhancing the effects of several antibiotics against a number of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

The even better news is - this appears to be a safe herb, probably worth trying as an adjunct therapy with the consent of your doctor.

Thanks wolf planet, good to know! The next time I replenish my Chinese herbal supplements; I will talk to the herbalist about it.

I certainly plan on trying it (if and when I need to go back on antibiotics) and I will also send a copy of the study to my NJH doctor. Yes, human studies would be ideal. A side note: before I went to NJH, I was thinking that Imipenem is the drug that I wanted in my drug choice. My local ID doctor told me that my MABs was resistant based on S/R/I testing in the lab. Since talking to the NJH doctor, she would have put me on Imipenem. I learned that Imipenem does not stay active long enough in any lab testing medium, to determine its efficacy. So, if and when I need the horrible 3, I will take imipenem and hopefully c. chinensis or maybe berberine. From what I read, berberine is the main alkaloid compound of c. chinensis, at least that is how it was described in other studies. My Chinese herbalist will definitely know or his partner (who has 2 PhD's in eastern medicine and an MD).

Here's a ChatGPT summary of the article: Researchers studied a traditional Chinese herb called Coptis chinensis (and its main ingredient, berberine) to see if it could help fight a difficult bacterial infection called Mycobacterium abscessus. This infection is hard to treat because it resists many antibiotics and forms protective biofilms that shield it from drugs.
The study found that both the herb and berberine were able to slow the growth of the bacteria in laboratory tests. They also helped prevent the bacteria from forming biofilms, which are protective layers that make infections harder to treat.
Importantly, when combined with certain antibiotics, the herb made those drugs more effective. In some cases, it reduced the amount of antibiotic needed or even made resistant bacteria become susceptible again.
This matters because current treatments for these infections are long, difficult, and often cause side effects. Using this herbal compound alongside antibiotics could potentially improve treatment outcomes.
However, this research was conducted in a laboratory setting, not in people. More studies are needed before this approach could be used in real-world medical treatment.
In summary, the study suggests that Coptis chinensis and berberine may help antibiotics work better and weaken hard-to-treat infections, but further research is required before clinical use.

something about berberine doesn't agree with me, but I've been reading lately about food grade hydrogen peroxide, taking so many (no set no) drops in pure water is good for any infection. used a lot back when before drugs became popular. anyone tried this?

@akron3 The easy answer is "No, no and no!" Hydrogen peroxide should not be ingested.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-hydrogen-peroxide-good-for
It can be used as a surface disinfectant, an oral rinse for a sore mouth (spit it out), to clean fruits and vegetables, even as a stain remover. But do not swallow it in any quantity.

@akron3, I agree with @sueinmn. It is not safe to ingest hydrogen peroxide. There’s no scientific evidence that drinking hydrogen peroxide is good for your health. Ingesting hydrogen peroxide can have dangerous side effects, including breathing problems, severe gut damage, and death.

This article explains in detail:
- Is It Safe to Drink Hydrogen Peroxide? https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/drinking-hydrogen-peroxide

@sueinmn i specifically mentioned FOOD GRADE hydrogen peroxide, very different than regular. it is taken in drops in certain quantity of water. if you read any books by doctors or authors mentioning doctors from the 50s and 60s, it was not uncommon for it to be used for infection and other ailments. I'm surprised no one on the forum has not heard of, or used it.

@kathyjjb
Hi Kathy your chinese herbalist sounds excellent- are you in the east coast?
Doreen