MAC Treatment: When will I see side effects?

Posted by wal6578 @wal6578, Oct 28, 2019

Started a little over a week ago with the "big three" for my mac lung. So far no side effects at all except the orange urine after rifampin dose. Appetite is great with no changes, no fatigue which I have never had even before started taking.

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@kathyhg

Hi,
That was a question I had when I started the big 3 as well. I developed ototoxicity after about 6 months on the medication. One day I woke up to terrible tinnitus (on testing, I also had some hearing loss). It was likely from the azithromycin but I stopped everything.

That was 2 months ago and I’m still off the medications and continue to be fairly well, using a nebulizer with saline every morning, followed by a number of lung clearing exercises and use of an Aerobika.

Good luck to both of you!

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Do you have to go off all meds if you have tinnitus?

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@rmason

@derbeltal -I had chills when I started rifampin. Went off it for awhile, then started again. Same problem. My doc then took me off it and no issues. Mine was definitely medication related.

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I had chills again last night. I believe it is the rifampin. Go to Dr Tuesday so maybe I will find out. They are bad as I have to take something to stop the chills.

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I was on Clarithomycin instead of Azithromycin. The Azithromycin made me too sick - stomach wise. I do t know if the Clarithomycin causes tinnitus or not though. I had tinnitus before ever starting the meds.

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Oh and also, the first month I was on the Clarithomycin, Ethambutal, and Rifampin, I was pretty sick from the side effects. My Infectious Disease doctor told me it takes about four weeks for your body to adjust to being on the medication and then the side effects are milder. In my case that was true but I know it’s different for everyone.

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I had to go off the meds when I got tinnitus - the issue wasn’t so much the tinnitus as some hearing loss that went with it. I had been followed by an ENT doctor since starting the meds and had monthly hearing tests so went for another test when the tinnitus started. I never had tinnitus before this.

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@derbeltal

I had chills again last night. I believe it is the rifampin. Go to Dr Tuesday so maybe I will find out. They are bad as I have to take something to stop the chills.

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@derbeltal Hi there. Good luck at the drs today. please keep me posted on what your dr says about the chills.

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@sounder27

Kathyhg. Yes. I get night sweats with the Mac and I understand that they are part of the way the bacterial infection manifests. Not everyone experiences them.

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@kathyhg and @sounder27 I had terrible night sweats for years due to the mac & menopause. Have not had them for a long time now, but remember the misery of it.

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@wal6578 You may be one of the lucky ones won't have side effects. Some people skate by with no problems on the meds. I had a diff treatment plan than the 'Big 3' and I too had no side effects.

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I just called my doctor and he put me on a lower dose of the Clarithomycin.

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@windwalker

@wal6578 You may be one of the lucky ones won't have side effects. Some people skate by with no problems on the meds. I had a diff treatment plan than the 'Big 3' and I too had no side effects.

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Since I have been on the big 3 I have no more clearing of throat, absolutely no coughing and feel great but I have started experiencing some tightness in chest and mild breathlessness that I have never experienced. Still no fatigue, great appetite and can do all regular activities and tolerate exercise. Been on big three for two months.

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