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Pneumonia, MAC and Aspergillus ?!?

MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Nov 19 3:13pm | Replies (20)

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Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor @sueinmn

@jenniferlp Your pulmonologist's statement "...it was "Avium but we usually don't treat because treatment is so difficult..." tells me they may not be totally familiar with managing and treating Bronchiectasis and MAC/NTM. This is not an indictment - both are rare, and many specialists may only see a case or two per year, compared to dealing with asthma and COPD every day.

Do you have access to one of the Bronchiectasis Care Centers listed below?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/the-bronchiectasis-care-center-network-33-centers/

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Replies to "@jenniferlp Your pulmonologist's statement "...it was "Avium but we usually don't treat because treatment is so..."

@sueinmn Thank you so much for your response; there is one in SD, and Stanford, both in CA. I had my EKG this morning. I also spoke to nurse practitioner's office, her assistants consulted with her, confirming she saw recent blood work, indicating Negative for Aspergillus and she suggested i go ahead. I had suggested I wait a week, journaling my pattern of coughing, etc. She said, coughing will return. My confusion is: which of these two Aspergillus or Avium were causing the coughing, (post nasal drip/ scratchy throat). Sue, your comment that both are 'rare' in interesting as the nurse practitioner with whom I met, made the following comment twice to me: "MAC is the most common disease that no one has ever heard of." I daresay, this is a confounding situation. I just spoke to my primary who suggested, I 'wait and see' and if coughing returns, i should begin meds. Btw, assistants made the comment, that Aspergillus went away because it was treated. I corrected them,
I was only treated with Diflucan for Candida, not for Aspergillus. Unless they are considering the Bronchoscopy lavage/cultures- a treatment.