Best Shower heads for MAC

Bellevue's testing was performed to their standards for inclusion for hospital usage. NYU and the Doctors accepted by design alone. So, to answer your question, we did not specifically employ an outside testing facility. If we did, what would the testing procedure be? Test it closed for 4-6 weeks? Test is after being opened every day from showering? You see, it's quite a bit more complicated by design. Our theory is simple and accepted. Anything the patient/consumer can do with ease on a daily basis to reduce/prevent/ameliorate a known risk is a step in the right direction. If your pipes are free from NTM completely and there is low levels in your ground/well water supply to your home, the stopping points are a place of accumulation. That includes every fitting in your plumbing system, every 45 degree elbow, the porosity there within. When you say multiple taps, are you referring to sink faucets? Water for drinking? That is another chapter for discussion. What appears to be the main focus of this thread are Shower Heads which are not only a major culprit in the stopping point and accumulation of NTM and dozens of other harmful bacteria but, a highly publicized and tested transporter. I spent years cutting open traditional shower heads after my mother came down with NTM which was confirmed to be in her shower head as tested by her doctor after I removed it. When you see what I have seen in virtually all enclose shower heads including those in my own home. Regardless of manufacturer, they all basically fail by design as they are all wet, dark, enclosed, have complicated internals made from porous materials. A virtual petri dish that you cannot see inside, you cannot clean inside, you cannot confirm free of NTM or any of the other 50 plus pathogens on a daily basis. No other company of all major household brands has been asked to test for NTM or anything else for that matter. Please feel free to cut anyone you wish open to understand what I am saying. I encourage all. Shower Clear is NOT a cure for NTM, it is merely a step in the right direction in order to take a known cause in this complicated condition and dozens of others out of the equation. As an engineer, large problems get fixed one way. One step at a time. There is no magic wand to fix everything at once. Why do we wash our dishes after every meal? We wouldn't think to let any food remain and use again the next day yet, we take for granted a century old design in a shower head must be fine when in fact it's not and cannot be cleaned like your dishes. I changed that with Shower Clear. I hope this helps. I have over a hundred pounds of documentation including a down play by major manufacturers in public document. I offer and welcome Mayo Clinic a complimentary sample if they would like to test on their own. I hope this helps. It's really not that complicated.

I do not have any special shower head, nor do I soak my regular shower head in anything. I’m not advocating one thing or the other. I just wanted to say Dr. Kamelhar is my Dr. I have been seeing him since my Dx from a biopsy done at NYU in 2016. He has not recommended any shower head TO ME, nor has he recommended any way to clean my shower head. He did tell me to absolutely avoid hot tubs. He also is not an advocate for medication. He recommended lung clearance every day, and to sleep on a wedge. Just thought I’d add a bit of info to the conversation.

If you wish, please feel free to mention my name to Dr. Kamelhar. He has a sample on his desk from one of the proto-types.

I will definitely ask about it when I go.

I was also his patient for about 10 years until I moved to Arizona. He is beyond wonderful. Your are in great hands.

@ginak
Ditto to everything you mentioned and my Dr said and recommended exactly the same. Phew!

This is an example of why any kind of attempt to clean a Standard Shower head cannot be done. You cannot see inside to have any time of confirmation of bacteria free or when ridden with bacteria. Too many places to hide. These took hours to took hours to take apart without smashing to pieces. As for testing, can you name 1 Standard Showerhead Company like Kohler, American Standard or Grohe that HAS tested their showerhead for mycobacteria? As an engineer, when something comes apart, we look for "Witness Marks" Area's where things were. An enclosed Shower Head, unless you make it rubble, you cannot see or test any witness marks. I welcome the challenge of any scientist/microbiologist that states bleaching, vinegar or whatever can ameliorate this problem. Science is proof. Hence why I offer a free Shower Head to Mayo Clinic to Test. Maybe someone on this forum will have them take me up on it.

"As for testing, can you name 1 Standard Showerhead Company like Kohler, American Standard or Grohe that HAS tested their showerhead for mycobacteria?"
Steve, as far as I know, no other company is making any claim that their showerheads are free of mycobacteria. Since you are, I asked whether you had your product tested after significant home use - to prove your theory. If the major marketing "hook" is absence of specific pathogens, isn't the minimum proof impartial testing by an independent lab?
For myself, I have decided that since mycobacteria is ubiquitous, eliminating it from the showerhead is not going to eliminate it from my life, so I have decided it's not something i plan to worry about. I take reasonable precautions and go on with my life. Both my pulmonologist and ID doc approve of my approach. Other people may reach a different conclusion.

I'm replacing our two shower heads and know there is much wisdom out there! Does a hand held version (with the hose) present an even greater opportunity for mycobacteria growth? Is it best to go with a simple model, sans the hose? Thanks in advance!

Hi @aerogirl, I moved your question about handheld shower heads to this existing discussion. Click VIEW & REPLY to read through past posts. As you said, there is so much wisdom in this group. You'll see how members question, research and follow evidence-based information.

I'd like to bring @sueinmn into this discussion. You might also find the information in these 2 related discussions helpful:
- Practical questions about nebulizer, shower head filters & gargling https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/some-practical-questions/
- More Water Related Questions https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/more-water-related-questions/
- How To Prevent Re-Infection of MAC/MAI https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-to-prevent-re-infection-of-macmai/

Aerogirl, can you explain why a handheld shower head might create more opportunity for mycobacteria growth? In my mind, it wouldn't but perhaps I'm missing something.