Blood test to check absorption of meds

@britchic Wow! Four years is a long time to be on antibiotics. I would wonder also whether the bacteria are resistant to the drugs. Have you ever had a negative culture?
I would ask them to do a susceptibility test on my next sputum culture before submitting to an absorption test.

Are you seeing a MAC/ NTM specialist?

@sueinmn yes seeing an id dr and pulmonologist. I’ve had negative sputum cultures off and on. Last one was positive again. I will ask the dr about the susceptibility test thank you

@britchic I was just given an order for the same test, to see if I am actually absorbing the antibiotics. I have been on the antibiotics along with Arikayce for over a little over 2 years. My ID has run susceptibility tests which show that they should be effective, however, I have sputum cultures done every 6 weeks and have never had a negative. I also have a sweat test scheduled to check for CF

@mjb24 When you get the results of the sputum test, if you do for you to see all, does it show how many colonies or a number such as +1 - +4
Does the test tell you specifically what type of bacteria they are using the antibiotics for?
Another person on the Mayo site was told at 400 colonies is begins to get serious.
I am at 30 colonies for a good couple of years and have not done the antibiotics. However so far I do not have cavitary showing.
Barbara

@blm1007blm1007 that’s a very good question and something I need to address with Id dr

@blm1007blm1007 I was at 1+ once about a year ago, then went to 2+ and I've been at 3+ since. I still have 2 rather large cavities and 1 small one. Two have stayed the same but one is slightly larger. My ID dr referred me to the NTM Clinic at Shands in Gainesville and I had my first appointment last week. She will be scheduling me for a bronchoscopy and I will be interested in seeing how that comes back. My bacteria is Intracellulare but she wants to see if anything else shows up. We are waiting on another consult to see if a biopsy should be done at the same time. I am glad you have been able to keep the colony count down. I pray that continues for you or better yet goes to 0!

@mjb24 I have been very fortunate so far with it staying low etc. I always have that realization in the back of my thoughts....that all can change. Often no matter how careful we try to be, things happen..
That must have been so frustrating watching it continue to grow to the 3+.
Hoping for you that nothing more shows up with all they do at the NTM Clinic, Gainesville and for you to have more insight of all.
Having gone to National Jewish Hospital/Clinic in Denver in 2023 they did the test, in the battery of tests they do, to check for possible CF....negative thank goodness.
Barbara

@blm1007blm1007 I can understand your worrying about things getting worse. Hopefully with how proactive you are that will never happen. Although, wouldn't it be great to hear "It's gone, no more MAC" 😃

Where do you see the colony count on your sputum culture results. I don’t see anything like this and doctors never address it.