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@katemn

@ilgrp4e .. Carmen, Rifampin frequently creates issues .. exactly WHICH antibiotics is she taking?? Below is what I show as recommended as "Standard". Do you see and 'ALTERNATE"?? Hope some of this helps! Hugs! Katherine

From my File Cabinet:
ANTIBIOTIC ..STANDARD TREATMENT Standard treatment of MAC recommended by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) is a combination of 3 or 4 drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The drugs include:
Clarithromycin (Biaxin) or Azithromycin (Zithromax)
Rifampin (Rifadin) or Rifabutin (Mycobutin) + Ethambutol (Myambutol)
Streptomycin (Strep) or Amikacin (Amikin)
The first three drugs are pills/capsules and may be given daily or three times weekly (Monday-Wednesday-Friday)

. While taking these medicines, routine laboratory tests to check kidneys and liver along with a complete blood count (CBC) should be performed, at least routinely for the first six months. Patients who fail therapy after taking the 3 standard medicines (clarithromycin/azithromycin, rifampin/rifabutin, and ethambutol) are usually required to take additional medicines (such as injectables or “shots”) which may be effective. For extensive or severe disease, or disease that has failed therapy, the injectables streptomycin or amikacin are often added for the first 2 to 4 months of therapy.

ALSO DID YOU TRY THIS MED SCHEDULING?
SCHEDULING ANTIBIOTICS From Member @pamelasc1, I began the 3 pill regimen. I did feel very lousy the first month but was told to hang in there, that it gets better each week- and it did! I will tell you how I take my pills, as timing can help, as can taking other supplements. I take them between 9 and 10 PM, just before going to bed. I take with a lot of water. I try to put a minimum of 2 hours between eating dinner and taking the pills. Every day I take a probiotic to help the gut - the antibiotics wreak havoc with the gut. This can help with nausea - I take my probiotic with breakfast or lunch - do not take it late in the day. I use Ultra Jarro-Dophilus - 50 billion per capsule - will find in the frig at any health food store - I open up the capsule and drop in a bit of applesauce, stir it up and eat. I also take Vit D3, 2000 IU and B6, 50 mg. After my stomach settled down in about a month, the side effects I have been left with are fatigue and weight loss, sometimes night sweats, and insomnia. Remember to take the pills at the same time of the day, so if you go on a schedule like mine, just stick to it by taking the pills two hours or so after eating a meal. This way I found I slept through the nausea for the most part. And as has been suggested, read through all the earlier posts - they are VERY helpful! Good luck and just have faith your nausea will get better. Pamela

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Replies to "@ilgrp4e .. Carmen, Rifampin frequently creates issues .. exactly WHICH antibiotics is she taking?? Below is..."

Hi fellow MAC patient,
I am taking the BIG three now ( just adding the Rifampin today) and wanted to know if you take all three antibiotics at night or if you take any with breakfast?
I am finding that the probiotics , esp the good ones are quite expensive. Do you order yours on line? Thanks for your input,
Lynne