Hi Sue...
I am nebulizing 2x daily with 7% saline (sodium chloride)....I do nasal rinses daily with NeilMed Sinus Rinse...I purchase a box of disposable, sterile 30 ML Syringes Luer slip from http://www.bhsupplies.net. I think you get 50 in a box which is isn't bad at all..and they are reasonably priced. After one use, I toss.

I do what is called the "squeeze". It is a clearance technique I learned from Lung Matters. They have a tutorial/video on their site showing how to do it by Kelly.....who runs the site.

Ever since I have be doing the squeeze...for the past three and 1/2 years, I have had no infections except NTM. My sputum samples say normal respiratory flora. Nebulizing alone I have discovered is not enough. When the squeeze is done patiently, and properly, the technique slowly enables me to get to the very deep mucus out , on a daily basis. The gunk that comes up is disgusting looking...but because I get it up and out daily..there is no home for that nasty bacteria to grow infections....no lingering mucus inside.

Previous to doing the squeeze, I was hospitalized two times, about four years ago; because I was only getting out the stuff that nebulizing enabled me to get out. I had infections that required a cocktail of antibiotics that were administered via IV. I had to do it in hospital because my stomach can not tolerate them. I had many bouts of C-Diff prior to these two episodes and luckily that did not happen again. C diff sucks....

I tried the big 3 and could not tolerate it. I felt deathly sick, and was not willing to give up my quality of life just so I could take the meds.

My personal opinion....which is just my opinion, is that Mac usually is here to stay. If it goes away, it morphs back into a different strain...and the suffering from the meds is in vain. The good news is ...NTM can be managed with proper clearance on a daily basis. I have bronchiectasis also.

I stay active..as much as possible.......I take guafineson prescription, and if I am really congested, I nebulize with Levalbuterol. I can not do it often because of side effects, but in a pinch it really works.

I boil ALL OF MY DRINKING WATER..I use distilled from the store. I boil for at least 10 minutes sea level.. I sterilize my Aerobikas, and cups in boiling water for ten minutes, and only use them once... and then sterilize again. I put them in a Bololo bottle dryer/sterilizer, set it on dry only and dry all my equipment......I use an Ombra Nebulizing machine.

My last three CT scans have been good and many of the plugs have gone away. My bronch has not progressed. My pulmonary dr...Colin Swenson in Atlanta, was very impressed at what he saw at our yearly visits.

I initially went to the National Jewish Hospital in Colorado when I first found out I had NTM. All they wanted to do was give me those meds. Their mention of clearance and the importance of it was practically non existant. SHOCKING.....
I had a bad experience there..the respiratory therapist wanted to hang my neb equipment in a bag on the wall and not replace it each day...I knew better intuitively that bacteria GROWS..which we do not want. She was arrogant and so was my doctor...I couldn't wait to get the heck out of there....I insisted on new equipment every day and the therapist had an attitude you could cut with a knife. I complained about her and never saw her again. We have to be our own advocates..Many people are ignorant in the respiratory therapy profession...I will never understand that. I mean, what do they learn at school, if not the importance of sterile equipment?

Everything I have learned in terms of NTM and bronch has been through Lung Matters.
Regards...Hope you are feeling good. Bon