1. < MAC & Bronchiectasis

Knocking on Wood

Posted by thumperguy @thumperguy, Jan 14, 2021

Allowing for the possibility that I'm out-of-my-tree and totally deluding myself, at the moment I'm awash in self-congratulation. I'm closing in on 16 months without a flare-up requiring antibiotics to tame. I've tweaked the twice daily treatment session so that I get it done in 23 minutes not counting clean-up time. Twenty-three minutes nebbing 7% saline, switching on the Thumper for only the final three minutes. By that time the saline is almost entirely gone. Somehow those 7 minutes render the whole experience less oneous. Don

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alleycatkate | @alleycatkate | Jan 23, 2021
In reply to @windwalker "Thank you Kate for this post. I am ordering some NAC today. I have been having..." + (show)
@windwalker

Thank you Kate for this post. I am ordering some NAC today. I have been having a terrible time with excess mucous in my lungs. Very short of breath these days. I hope that you are continuing to do be well. Hugs - Terri

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@windwalker ...Terri, I so hope it helps for you...sorry to hear of your current issues. I recently got a great thought from Heather...she was wondering if breathing our saline deeper into the lungs would get to her issues in her lower lobes. I tried deep belly breathing and holding it in for a count of ten. What a difference in getting up gunk. After a month of that...It now seems that there is nothing left to get up. If you try it, I would be curious to see if it helps. I love this site and the thoughts and suggestions that are raised here. Hugs and my best to you. Kate

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1 reply
kathyhg | @kathyhg | Jan 23, 2021

Thanks for the suggestion in clearing the bottom of the lungs! I’ll try it as well.

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baz10 | @baz10 | Jan 23, 2021
In reply to @windwalker "Thank you Kate for this post. I am ordering some NAC today. I have been having..." + (show)
@windwalker

Thank you Kate for this post. I am ordering some NAC today. I have been having a terrible time with excess mucous in my lungs. Very short of breath these days. I hope that you are continuing to do be well. Hugs - Terri

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What is NAC? baz10

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heathert | @heathert | Jan 23, 2021
In reply to @windwalker "Thank you Kate for this post. I am ordering some NAC today. I have been having..." + (show)
@windwalker

Thank you Kate for this post. I am ordering some NAC today. I have been having a terrible time with excess mucous in my lungs. Very short of breath these days. I hope that you are continuing to do be well. Hugs - Terri

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@windwalker I thought NAC was great too a few years ago. Then I found this I feel it is a case maby of how much you take, but not sure. Please read this, quite reputable place. ncbihttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6795405/#:~:text=That%20NAC%20supplementation%20can%20increase,promoted%20tumor%20initiation%20was%20available.
Please let me know your thoughts or if you can find any into to the contrary in2020.
Sorry I really wanted NAC to be great too but dont want tumours.
Heather

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rvan | @rvan | Jan 23, 2021

Yes I am also curious now and will do some more research

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kathyhg | @kathyhg | Jan 23, 2021
In reply to @heathert "@windwalker I thought NAC was great too a few years ago. Then I found this I..." + (show)
@heathert

@windwalker I thought NAC was great too a few years ago. Then I found this I feel it is a case maby of how much you take, but not sure. Please read this, quite reputable place. ncbihttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6795405/#:~:text=That%20NAC%20supplementation%20can%20increase,promoted%20tumor%20initiation%20was%20available.
Please let me know your thoughts or if you can find any into to the contrary in2020.
Sorry I really wanted NAC to be great too but dont want tumours.
Heather

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I can’t open the article (just posted by Heather’s). Could you send another link or let us know what the article concludes about NAC?

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1 reply
ginak | @ginak | Jan 23, 2021
In reply to @poodledoc "@ginak Gina that is a wonderful synopsis of a complicated issue. Thanks" + (show)
@poodledoc

@ginak Gina that is a wonderful synopsis of a complicated issue. Thanks

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@poodledoc Thank you

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heathert | @heathert | Jan 24, 2021
In reply to @kathyhg "I can’t open the article (just posted by Heather’s). Could you send another link or let..." + (show)
@kathyhg

I can’t open the article (just posted by Heather’s). Could you send another link or let us know what the article concludes about NAC?

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@kathyhg Hi if you go into the above and then type in" Antioxidants Accelerate Lung Cancer Progression in Mice" you should be able to find it. Testing has shown that NAC accelerates Tumour growth in mice. Articles I can find are around 2015 There many articles on it. Would like to see a recent article on it, and I cannot find one. I anyone finds one please post it.

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jr2366 (Jennifer) | @jr2366 | Feb 8, 2021
In reply to @ginak "@goddard MAC (mycobacterium avium complex) is an NTM (non-tuberculosis mycobacterium). There are over 170 different types..." + (show)
@ginak

@goddard MAC (mycobacterium avium complex) is an NTM (non-tuberculosis mycobacterium). There are over 170 different types of mycobacterium; tuberculosis is one and, believe it or not, leprosy is also one. The different types vary in contagion and their effect on us. Bronchiectasis is damage to the bronchial tubes. It can be idiopathic, (unknown cause), or caused by many things; such as GERD (gastric esophageal reflux disease), silent aspiration of gastric acid, constant bronchitis, pneumonia, inhaling something damaging, or you can be born with it. If you have bronchiectasis, as many of us on this forum do, it makes you susceptible to getting MAC and/or getting sick from it with varying symptoms; constant cough, fever, weight loss, fatigue, night sweats. When the infection is active, it also causes additional lung damage such as cavities in the lungs. It may also contribute to getting lung nodules. Lung nodules can also caused by any type of inflammation in the lungs; inhaling something irritating or hazardous, silent aspiration, GERD, etc. Some of us, with bronchiectasis and a diagnosis of MAC or MAI (mycobacterium avium intercellular), don’t have any other symptoms besides the cough. Some people take antibiotics for a long time to get rid of the NTM infections. Most of us inhale some percentage of hypertonic saline since studies have shown that it helps control the NTM infection. To my knowledge, there is no cure for bronchiectasis and it is progressive. You can slow the progression by daily lung clearance, exercise, good diet, but having it makes you susceptible to lung infections. So basically — NTMs, bronchiectasis, GERD, cavities, nodules, are all somewhat connected. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus as to which comes first or which causes what. Although I can explain it, (I think accurately), that doesn’t really mean I actually understand it. Lol. I hope this helps.
Gina

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Gina I read your message from Jan 23 again your right in point about all that you wrote I’m currently in Arikayce and it’s been 2 months now I’m ok just very congested in my chest with cough seems it’s hard to get my phone up I try everyday it’s so annoying I hear wheezing and feel it too. I do huff coughing doesn’t seem to help much. I do get the night sweats and all you mentioned I do some walking for exercise mainly on my treadmill in the winter. My biggest worry is will my Arikayce medication work and get rid of this and if one day a catch a cold or get sick my lungs are already congested will I be able to handle a cold . This is all so new to me and I’m scared not going to lie thanks for reading this and taking the time

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2 replies
heathert | @heathert | Feb 8, 2021
In reply to @jr2366 "Gina I read your message from Jan 23 again your right in point about all that..." + (show)
@jr2366

Gina I read your message from Jan 23 again your right in point about all that you wrote I’m currently in Arikayce and it’s been 2 months now I’m ok just very congested in my chest with cough seems it’s hard to get my phone up I try everyday it’s so annoying I hear wheezing and feel it too. I do huff coughing doesn’t seem to help much. I do get the night sweats and all you mentioned I do some walking for exercise mainly on my treadmill in the winter. My biggest worry is will my Arikayce medication work and get rid of this and if one day a catch a cold or get sick my lungs are already congested will I be able to handle a cold . This is all so new to me and I’m scared not going to lie thanks for reading this and taking the time

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@jr2366 Hi Jennifer I know how you feel, were you congested before the Amikacin. I have trouble getting phlem up also. Arikayce is good at its job, you can also get some other basic antibiotics from your Dr for if you catch a cold, take them straight away. I had whooping cough not long ago and was terrified but it all went smoothly, just lots of coughing and some phlemmy chest but no worries so I think we are tougher than we think. take care Heather

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