@janeb Dear Jane, I wish I had a definitive answer for you, but I don't. In fact, no doctors will either. This type of infection is the most bewildering of all of the diseases I know of. There are doctors at National Jewish Health that claim that they can cure a small percentage of patients. The cure is known as a 'conversion'. I have watched my lung function decline a little bit each year for the last 15 years. That has been disheartening. I doubt it was from mac eating away my lung tissue. I have a condition called 'Bronchiecstasis' which is a progressive lung disease where one slowly loses lung tissue. People with MAC tend to also have bronchiectstais, and vise-a versa. I saw where you stated that you are 85 yrs old. MAC is a slow growing organism so there is a chance it will not colonize in your lifetime. If I were you, I'd ask about getting a prescription for the nebulized saline and use it twice daily. Rest, good nutrician, and exercise are key. You can call NTM Info & Research at 305-667-6461 and request that they mail you info about MAC (NTM). You can also visit their website and read info at http://www.ntminfo.org

I agree. But how can we get treatments that are tolerable and used when it is better to treat? We need to find ways to get better treatments.

Jo Ann K

@jkiemen, Jo Ann, you can go to http://www.ntminfo.org to advocate for what you just said.