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remission
I understood that MAC is not curable but can be driven back into remission. I am 83 and have had 2 rounds of meds over a 15 year period. I also have severe brancheiatisis. IFD doctor says body cannnot take the 3 meds again so no treatment. Currently using Spiriva, Symbicort and Aerobika. Coughing is on going, lots of tiredness etc. So one just has to live with this and focus on what we can do and not what we cannot(my system!)
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@gatortail MAC is a type of bacterial infection to your lungs. So it can be eradicated with treatment. However, because the causes of this infection differ due to different physical conditions of those being infected, some may indeed have to live with it for long durations. If you have bronchiectasis, which is incurable, the damages it does to your bronchial tubes over time make you much more susceptible to MAC than an average person. So you may get re-infected over and over again even with treatment. Or if your immune system is weakened due to other illnesses, you are more susceptible to MAC infections as well. For healthy people, MAC can even disappear without treatment. For those with poor health, they may have to fight it for many, many years. If you have time to read through the posts on this site, you will see we all have very different physical conditions and have gone through different treatment regimens or have gone without treatment but still manage to live a normal life. You may find the experiences that people are sharing here helpful in your struggle to manage this disease.