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How often should I be tested for MAC
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Jul 5 5:08pm | Replies (29)Comment receiving replies
I am confused by your internist's diagnosis. What tests did she perform to make this decision? MAC/NTM is diagnosed by a combination of evidence on a CT scan, a sputum culture - either one sample from a bronchoscopy or two consecutive positive cultures for sputum specimens, and symptoms. What did she suggest was causing your symptoms?
Do you have a pulmonologist? When is the last time you had a CT scan and sputum culture reviewed by them? Were you also tested for other infections like Pseudomonas, Pneumonia, Strep and Aspergillis or other fungus? That is how a pulmonologist or ID doc diagnoses these infections.
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I have a pulmonologist but the reason I saw her were pains in my side that she feels is muscular and referred me to therapy and an MRI. I did not see her for MAC nor did I feel I had MAC, I casually mentioned it to her wondering if MAC could cause these pains. She is pretty good, taught Geriatric medicine at Harvard but is always refers me out to specialists for problems. I only mentioned her to round out my question which is: How do you know whether or not you "may have" Mac? I mean physically, what really happens to a person with this for the first time? I had a negative culture when I had a lavage a year ago so I presume somewhere along the way my Pulmonologist will check this won't he?