My mom's Dr. Is seriously good for nothing. I called and he always has his nurse call and say oh go to the ER. I finally had to tell the just if the Dr was an idiot. Or if he even knows who my mom is and reviews her chart before calling me. It's the rifampin that makes her sick and it needs to be replaced. So now she said shell talk to the Dr and see what she can do. Meanwhile I called Loyola here in Chicago and Dr. James cook specializes in Mac and can see her but not until July. So would you or anyone know Incase her current Dr. Doesn't want to replace the rifampin if she can just keep taking the other 2 antibiotics and no rifampin or other until she gets an appt with Dr James cook in July. The Mayo Dr. You mentioned you saw recommended him when I emailed him before.

So sorry to hear all your mom is going through. My ID dr told me I had to take all 3 antibotics/ day or don't take any (like if I had a procedure). Yet in October (my MAC cultures were clear) when we discovered the ethambutol was giving me a rash, they had me stop that drug and keep going with rifampin and azythromycin (sp?). They told me that the MAC was so slow growing they were okay waiting for a month or two. I'm guessing this was because my cultures were negative. They sent me to an allergist to see if I could be desentatize to ethambutol, which I was able to be and went back on it jan 30th, along with the oyher 2 drugs I never stopped. When I saw an ID dr at mayo he said there were other drugs to be tried if I couldn't be desentatized, but he didn't indicate if it was drug for drug or the whole treatment of drugs together. Hope someone else has a better answer for you. One thing I would say is to call the dr back that you have an appt with in july and see if you can be put on a cancel list. Never hurts to ask! Best wishes.

<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Ask the new doctor, just call or email his office, he may want all of her medical records sent to him so be ready, and FIRE the current one immediately!!! You<br> hire them, they work for you, if they do a lousy job, or no job at all then they should go swiftly. You  get one body and it belongs to you. I keep asking “where have all the doctors gone”<br> <br><br><br>

Tell Cook's office how dire the situation is - ask to be seen on an urgent basis

Thx. Yes already put her on waiting list. Hope someone cancels.

I just want to say, and maybe I am out of line, and if so I really apologize I don't mean to be. You are a great daughter to be concerned, to care, and to be a fighter for your mom when she is too ill to fight for herself. What I wanted to say to you is this; I am one of the few here, though some have noted that others in their family are prone to lung disease, who went through what you are going thru my mom and my aunt both died of MAC and other complications of said disease and I do know what you are going thru and how difficult. Please do not let this frighten you , there is no evidence yet that it is hereditary, it could be coincidence . I believe that there is a forum here for caregivers, someone will probably know the answer to that. Please take care of yourself, this is not an easy thing you are doing and you will need your strength to get you both thru it. At least now things have changed and there are treatments and options. I admire your strength and perseverance and ability to reach out. Take care of you also.

Thank you @ijustdontbreathewell for mentioning the Caregiver group on Connect.

@ilgrp4e if you are interested in following the Caregiver group and joining the conversation there, here is the link https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/caregivers/