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Hello everyone! What's new with you?

MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: May 22, 2021 | Replies (23)

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@goddard

Hi, I had Mac for at least 15 years , it waxed and waned with a dry cough. I have some bronchiectasis ( not a lot) and scarring from pneumonia. I had a bronchoscopy, sputum test and biopsy in 2018 that showed MAC. I've gone on saline and things look better now on the CT scans, some of the small nodules have gone away, but a year ago I got a whole new type of lung discomfort that persists through today. -- Following the flu in January 2020, I developed a very productive cough (as compared to the dry cough of preceding decades), which has persisted since then (over a year now). It gets very intense at bedtime when I lie down, sometimes after I eat, I have post nasal drip (never had it before) at night when I'm lying down, my eyes run when I wake up. I cough so hard sometimes in daytime that I vomit or pee on myself (embarrassing and gross), have big spasms.. These are very different symptoms from previous 15 years. But, my CT scans in April 2020 and March 2021 look very good compared to previous years. My PFTs are not quite so good this year, but I am almost 71 and have some lung scarring. Last week my lungs hurt so much and I was coughing so much, I took a Z pac--azithromycin, and I felt much better, which is now wearing off. I think it was due to anti-inflammatory effect of the drug, not the antibacterial qualities, but it is one of the drugs Im susceptible to according to sputum tests os I dont want to "waste" it. I had one doc tell me I had GERD-- but I had an upper GI endoscopy and GI doc said she didn't see signs of it. . My new pulmo offered to put me on a "maintenance dose" three times a week of azithromycin to calm down my lungs. I fell so much better after taking the Z=pac Im tempted. Not sure what to do. Any ideas out there re "maintenance" on Azithromycin? I know they give it to COPD patients for its anti-inflammatory effects. I've had lot of fear and caution put in me re taking these drugs and then if MAC gets worst I won't have anything to cure it,

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Replies to "Hi, I had Mac for at least 15 years , it waxed and waned with a..."

Granny Goddard, I am glad that you are aware of the possibility of developing a drug resistance. Mayo Clinic's protocol has been to only use azithromycin as a last resort. (The back-up plan) I was put on doxycycline and ciprofloxacin on alternating months for several yrs. That worked for me and mitigated the mac. Then was put on cipro and tobramycin on alternating months for several yrs to keep mac and pseudomonas away. So far, so good. Do you know what your suseptibility tests reveal about the meds I just mentioned? Could these be possibilities for you?