New Diagnosis of MAC/MAI & I'm scared

@windwalker, @alleycatkate, on the 7% sodium. My doc has me on 3% because of my tendency for hemoptysis (seems I have a small bout of that about every 6 months, with some bouts of pink tinged sputum) and he says the 7% would be more irritating. My MAC, as well as bronchiectasis, are both considered mild, which seems weird to me because of the bleeding but I guess some are just more prone to that? Anyway, do any of you with hemoptysis still neb the 7%? Any thoughts? I only do 3% once a day. It definitely helps me clear the gunk! Thank you!

@ windwalker I too am on 3%, my doctor's recommendation I did try the 7% just to see if I could do it. She was right. I was having coughing spasms that wouldn't stop and all but knocked me out. I'm back on 3% but still coughing a lot. I have a prescribed codeine
cough syrup I take when the night coughing just won't quite. I hate taking it. Even when it's the smallest sip I feel sleepy and dumb the next day...I'm a lousy addict, thank god. I have been nebulizing twice a day but I may cut back to once until my lungs are not so very sensitive. I've also been told I have long lungs. I don't think it's a compliment. I wonder if that makes it harder to cough up. Flib

@shooei, Hello. Because of your issue with hemoptysis, you may want to listen to your dr. and stay on the 3%. If that percentage is working for you to bring up the gunk, then I would think that is fine. If your see more bleeding than usual, let your dr. know about it. I hope you are feeling good.

Thanks so much for the replies!! @flib, I think you're right, long lungs is probably not a compliment, but it did make me laugh. Sounds like sticking with the 3% is probably good for me. I haven't posted here much, but I want to say what a great place it is to come and gather encouragement and information. I am very embarrassed to say I struggle with health anxiety, and coughing up blood just sends me into that fear - even though I know it is just sometimes a symptom of my MAC, I can't seem to make my anxiety fully accept that. Same way with the fatigue sometimes, I'll think something else must be horribly wrong and I'm dying and then later in that same day I can feel better, get up and accomplish things and decide I'm probably not dying after all. What a hot mess!!!

Thanks so much for the replies!! @flib, I think you're right, long lungs is probably not a compliment, but it did make me laugh. Sounds like sticking with the 3% is probably good for me. I haven't posted here much, but I want to say what a great place it is to come and gather encouragement and information. I am very embarrassed to say I struggle with health anxiety, and coughing up blood just sends me into that fear - even though I know it is just sometimes a symptom of my MAC, I can't seem to make my anxiety fully accept that. Same way with the fatigue sometimes, I'll think something else must be horribly wrong and I'm dying and then later in that same day I can feel better, get up and accomplish things and decide I'm probably not dying after all. What a hot mess!!!

@shooei Well, I thought I was going to die both yesterday and this morning. Really no energy and coughing like a choo chol train.
By this afternoon I was alive enough to go out and run errands, feed the cats, put away groceries and look around for more chores. No one has yet to totally explain this swing to me. I know air quality affects my breathing a lot. I just got a disability placard to hang in my car so I don't have to walk far to enter stores. It helps with the humidity and the cold. . Lack of exercise is another cause. Getting to the gym can feel like torture and trying to lift weights just silly. Then I do it and by the time I leave (half hour) I'm feeling kind of like my old self. This up and down stuff helps create some anxiety...you just can't count on yourself. At the same time, when it's up time, it gives you hope. Hot mess is right. My swearing vocabulary is fairly limited but I'm working on that too. I have all kinds of filthy names to call this disease. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Anxiety is part of the pain of having this disease; but people do get better, they learn to cope and have a life. I remember coughing up blood and being really frightened. Eventually that went away. I don't know why. I'm not on any antibiotics (unable to take them...lost some hearing) I wonder if sometimes a blood vessel pops. Wishing you well. Flib

@shooei Well, I thought I was going to die both yesterday and this morning. Really no energy and coughing like a choo chol train.
By this afternoon I was alive enough to go out and run errands, feed the cats, put away groceries and look around for more chores. No one has yet to totally explain this swing to me. I know air quality affects my breathing a lot. I just got a disability placard to hang in my car so I don't have to walk far to enter stores. It helps with the humidity and the cold. . Lack of exercise is another cause. Getting to the gym can feel like torture and trying to lift weights just silly. Then I do it and by the time I leave (half hour) I'm feeling kind of like my old self. This up and down stuff helps create some anxiety...you just can't count on yourself. At the same time, when it's up time, it gives you hope. Hot mess is right. My swearing vocabulary is fairly limited but I'm working on that too. I have all kinds of filthy names to call this disease. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Anxiety is part of the pain of having this disease; but people do get better, they learn to cope and have a life. I remember coughing up blood and being really frightened. Eventually that went away. I don't know why. I'm not on any antibiotics (unable to take them...lost some hearing) I wonder if sometimes a blood vessel pops. Wishing you well. Flib

@flib Hey Flib! After having some nights of extra long hours of sleep; I finally got some energy back today. Extra sleep and the drop in humidity has made a new person out me. How about you, Flib? Did you get your groove back yet?

@flib Hi there. I got a giggle from reading about your long lungs. I must say, I have never heard of that! Is it possible that the 3% saline is also too much of an irritant for your lungs? Maybe you need to take a break from it and see if your cough improves.