@hayn3705 I was dx with mild bronchietasis in 2016 and MAC/MAI. I have no symptoms from the NTM infection so my Dr and I agreed NOT to treat with the antibiotics. I was told to use an Aerobika for lung clearance. Since that time I moved and switched pulmonary Drs. He was also in agreement about no antibiotics yet. After reading about nebulizing with saline on this forum and in other studies, I requested the prescription from my Dr so he prescribed .9%. I now use 7% saline, and still have no symptoms from the NTM. I still do my lung clearance 2x per day. I haven't had a sputum test in 2 years, (which I will probably make an appt for this summer), and my CT scans remain the same. Maybe you can request it from your Dr. It can't hurt but definitely may help. And definitely ask about lung clearance. That's very important with bronchiectasis to keep the lungs clear of mucus.

@hayn3075 I am a big proponent of being your own best advocate in your care, as are many on this group. As far as I know, lung clearance is important in most cases of bronchiectasis. It helps clear the sputum, which damaged lungs no longer do efficiently on their own, so the bad bugs like MAC cannot grow.

One of the most important factors in dealing with any uncommon chronic condition is finding the right caregiver. That would be someone who frequently treats bronchiectasis and MAC, and keeps up with the most current treatment protocols. It might be time to look for someone near you who does that, or to visit Mayo, National Jewish Health or another regional center with a group of lung specialists.

I am curious what testing was done to determine your diagnosis of Bronchiectasis and MAC, and what symptoms you are currently experiencing. If I recall correctly, you have been dealing with taste and appetite issues since you started medication. How are your doing now?

Sue

I have not been diagnosed with a MAC/ntm’s yet. He is hoping the vest/albuterol/7%saline is helping.....so far, so good.....but I don’t know what he would do if those infections showed up.

Hi there. There are a surprising amount of drs who do not know about using nebulized saline in addition to antibiotics. You can tell your dr that Mayo pulmonolgists recommend it. I say this because Mayo drs are rightfully held in high esteem by most physicians. I can almost guarantee that Mayo drs see and treat hundreds more mac patients than your dr. Do you know what your dr's expertise is in dealing with mac/bronchiectatsis? That is an important question to ask your dr. What is his/her experience in treating mac. Did you see the NIH link I recently posted about the saline?

@hayn3705 I was diagnosed with mild focal bronchiectasis, nodules, and MAC in 2018 after I coughed up a handful of blood while lap swimming. Other than that, and a morning cough, I have no other symptoms and don't take any antibiotics. My coughing was very non-productive, and I didn't want to have either the bronchiectasis or the MAC to get worse. So, based on what I read here, I decided to try NAC ( 1 or 2 600-mg capsules/day) and nebulizing 7% saline (once a day for two days, then off a day because my prescription was for 60 4ml vials every 3 months). Since I started both, my morning coughing has been much more productive.

I have mild bronchiectasis diagnosed at Mayo 15 months ago and was thought to have MAC, but the cultures never grew it. I’ve rarely produced sputum.
The Mayo docs prescribed airway clearance with albuterol nebs followed by Aerobika for me, initially twice daily. Once cultures came back negative, Mayo doc decreased it to daily at my request. Once I had a diagnosis, I was able to get into Penn’s
bronchiectasis clinic (local). My pulmonologist there agrees with this plan.
I think the amount of sputum you have determines the percentage of saline needed. I’ve tried all 3 when trying to get specimens- none worked.
It seems that airway clearance is a common recommendation for even mild bronchiectasis.