Azithromycin, Ethanbutol, & Rifampin Drug Therapy for MAC

I split mine up. I am also on synthroid so when I wake up, I take it. I wait 2 hours and take my first dose of ethambutol and my only dose of azithomycin. Before I go to bed I take my other dose of ethambutol and rifampin. I have not had gut issues and I've been on for a year. I do have ringing in my ears and it wouldn't matter what time of day I took my drugs for that. I am on 3 times a week too but they are talking about going to daily. If someone has a better regimen I'd like to hear it too. The rifampin was interfering with my synthroid. It seems to be working giving a 2 hour split.

Thank you for that good tip. BTW...I also have horrible distortion with my hearing....to the point of being painful. They sent me to an ENT who did not agree with me that it may all be related (holistic approach) he tried to convince me it was early onset hearing loss...actually though my Rheumatologist agrees that it is all related (not specifically to the MAC); he sees it as a player in the realm of RA...autoimmune.

@cmi I think @tinaesims has a good schedule. If you look back at previous posts especially those by Katherine a former mentor, you will find her schedule for taking the meds was a good one as well. I’m sure there are others. Rifampin is the tough one. Wishing you well. irene5

I was on the meds for 18 months, and transitioned early on to taking all 3 at bedtime. It was the only way I could tolerate them because the nausea was otherwise debilitating. Please look at some of the other, older discussions on the forum for suggestions on easing any symptoms you may have, with ginger tea or candies, frequent small meals, and probiotics.
Also, please consider seeing an audiologist for a baseline evaluation of your hearing - I saw mine every 3 months (until Covid) to make sure the meds were not accelerating my hearing loss.
Sue

@cmi Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, a place to give and get support. You will notice that I changed your conversation to, "Azithromycin, Ethanbutol, & Rifampin Drug Therapy for MAC."

I did this so you could connect more quickly with active members of the MAC groups like, @thumperguy @windwalker @heathert @brigby @poodledoc more quickly.

You are looking for ways to better tolerate the medication trio. May I ask what your provider has offered as an alternative to the medication trio?

I take rifampin on waking, wait one hour, then have breakfast and remaining doses of medication. I have not had any discomfort related to dose timing and prefer this schedule as I don’t have to think about the medication again during the day. Just to say, that although side effects are common, they do not affect everyone.
Good luck with finding a schedule that works for you ( and maybe doesn’t involve disturbing your sleep)

I have an interdisciplinary team of doctors...Pulmonary, ID, Rheumatologist, Ophthalmologist, & ENT, working on my behave, all connected through our health care system. The ID doc is covering the medication page and sees me accordingly. I believe because I am so early on in this...he is waiting to see if I can tolerate this plan. I began with just the two Azithromycin 500 & Ethambutol 1200 ...will add the rifampin 600 on Sunday...this cocktail is 3 xweek. No alternatives have been offered yet. Comments made before beginning this protocol were “not everyone takes treatment “... I however met “qualifications “ low BMI and fear of weight loss, plus the persistent chest & back pains. I guess I am still too early on in this. My doctors are a good, compassionate, & professional team and we communicate easily via a healthcare portal. ID will follow me with labs for liver function...pulmonary for PFT. My next hurdle will be (if I tolerate meds) how to produce sputum for cultures...I have never had fever, cough, or sputum production. My MAC was confirmed after the bronchoscopy.

I am so happy to hear you have a team dealing with this - it is the best approach, especially if they are in communication with one another.
One way to produce sputum, which I needed to use during treatment, was to nebulize with 10% saline solution under supervision of the pulmonology nurse. Man, it was irritating, but I was able to produce enough for a good culture. Near the end, she would also do a little manual percussion on my back to help me along.
Sue

Good to know...there will be a solution. I appreciate the participants in this forum, both considerate and giving. I don’t feel so alone.

@cmi Mayo Clinic Connect is a place to give and get support. May I ask what you mean by alone. Do you mean, connecting with others that can relate to what you are going through help you not to feel alone or are you socially isolated?