@marianm44- How can I help with this? Do you have any directions from your pullmonologist?

@marianm44 Hello and welcome to Mayo Connect. As you have already seen,there is a very helpful group here.

As for breathing exercises, it looks like you have now located the clip you were interested in. My own exercises are limited to use of the Acapella or Aerobika resistance vibratory device, "huff" coughing after saline nebs to clear the mucus and brisk walking to build my lung capacity. I hope to get back on my bicycle after my thumb heals from recent surgery so I have another exercise option.

As for Breo, my husband & I both found it terribly irritating to the throat and vocal chords, it actually took our voices away. After consultation with a new pulmonologist last year, we were switched to Flovent which is milder & seems to work just as well.

Finally, you are correct in your assessment of the antibiotic treatment for MAC being very difficult to tolerate for many people. After 18 months, we stopped mine in December, even though my sputum cultures still showed MAC because the antibiotics were making me sick and exhausted. I have been doing fine and feeling fine on 7% saline nebs plus airway clearance.

7% saline has been shown in studies to be inhospitable to the growth of the MAC bacteria, so even though I don't think of it as a cure, I believe it suppresses growth of the organisms. There is an extensive discussion about it here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/7-saline-solution/

Let us know if you have more questions.
Sue