1. < MAC & Bronchiectasis

(MAC/MAI) Mycobacterium Avium Complex Pulmonary Disease: Join us

Posted by Katherine, Alumni Mentor @katemn, Nov 21, 2011

I am new to Mayo online .. I was hoping to find others with .. MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM COMPLEX PULMONARY DISEASE (MAC/MAI) and/or BRONCHIECTASIS. I found only 1 thread on mycobacterium accidently under the catagory "Lungs". I'm hoping by starting a subject matter directly related to MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM COMPLEX PULMONARY DISEASE (MAC/MAI) I may find others out there!

I was diagnosed by a sputum culture August 2007 (but the culture result was accidentally misfiled until 2008!) with MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM COMPLEX PULMONARY DISEASE (MAC/MAI) and BRONCHIECTASIS. I am now on 5 antibiotics. Working with Dr. Timothy Aksamit at Rochester Mayo Clinic .. he is a saint to have put up with me this long! I was terrified of the treatment . started the first antibiotic September 3, 2011 ... am now on all 5 antibiotics for 18 mos to 2 years. Am delighted at the very bearable side effects!

I wrote on the 1 thread I found: If you google NON-TUBERCULOUS MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM COMPLEX PULMONARY DISEASE (MAC/MAI) you will learn a LOT about the disease. But PLEASE do NOT get scared about all the things you read .. that is what I did and nearly refused to do the treatment until after a 2nd Micomacterium was discovered! Educate yourself for "due diligence" .. but take it all with a grain of salt .. you are NOT necessarily going to have all the terrible side effects of the antibiotics! Good luck to you!

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January 2017 Update

One of our great Connect Members .. @Paula_MAC2007  .. had a wonderfully helpful idea that I wanted to share! Her idea .. as you read through the pages to gather information on our shared disease of MAC you can develop a personal "file cabinet" for future reference without the necessity of reading all the pages again!

If you have the "MS Word" program on your computer:
- Document Title Example:  Mayo Clinic Connect MAI/MAC Information
- Then develop different categories that make sense to you such as:  Heath Aids .. Videos .. Healthy Living .. Positive Thinking .. Baseline Testing and Regular Testing .. Antibiotics ..
Tips for
- As you read the pages .. copy/paste/save things of interest into that MS Word document under your preferred categories for future reference.

Then as you want to refer back to something in the future .. YEAH!  You have now created your own personal "file cabinet" on MAC/MAI!  Go to it!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

Katherine, Alumni Mentor | @katemn | May 31, 2017
In reply to @lindam272 "This came across my email this morning from Cambridge Mask Co. Right now they are raising..." + (show)
@lindam272

This came across my email this morning from Cambridge Mask Co. Right now they are raising money for this new concept, but I believe you can also sign up to receive a mask with the smart valve once they have them in production. Just an FYI for anyone who may be interested. Linda

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FYI .. there are still 18 of the Cambridge Masks still in stock at https://smile.amazon.com/Cambridge-Mask-Company-Respirator-Pollution/dp/B013X0Y0Q8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496271722&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=cambridge+mask&psc=1

I even used mine while visiting my husband in the hospital .. the sickest place in the world to be! I find it easy to breath in .. and carefully handwashed it when we returned from Egypt in January. Hugs to all! Katherine

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Katherine, Alumni Mentor | @katemn | May 31, 2017
In reply to @lindam272 "Tdrell, Thanks for that info! Is it too much trouble to locate the guidelines given for..." + (show)
@lindam272

Tdrell, Thanks for that info! Is it too much trouble to locate the guidelines given for future scanning so we can share those with our doctors? I was planning on asking my doc to order a CT scan for me to compare with earlier ones when I go back in the next 4 - 6 weeks and would like to have that information before calling if you still have it. Thanks so much! Linda

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Boomer, when I recommended the peroxide to use on toothbrushes .. it was related to oral thrush rather than mycobacteria .. with my using two inhalers I try to do anything to avoided that dreaded oral thrush! Katherine

Peroxide was recommended by several website ie:
http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/thrush/overview.html
Use a soft toothbrush and rinse your mouth with a diluted 3% hydrogen peroxide solution several times a day.

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Katherine, Alumni Mentor | @katemn | May 31, 2017
In reply to @lindam272 "Tdrell, Thanks for that info! Is it too much trouble to locate the guidelines given for..." + (show)
@lindam272

Tdrell, Thanks for that info! Is it too much trouble to locate the guidelines given for future scanning so we can share those with our doctors? I was planning on asking my doc to order a CT scan for me to compare with earlier ones when I go back in the next 4 - 6 weeks and would like to have that information before calling if you still have it. Thanks so much! Linda

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Boomer, my mention of peroxide was as it relates to oral thrush and toothbrushes rather than mycobacteria. I had researched since I do two inhalers twice per day .. I found as an example:
http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/thrush/overview.html
Use a soft toothbrush and rinse your mouth with a diluted 3% hydrogen peroxide solution several times a day.

Don't want to confuse anyone. Katherine

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Katherine, Alumni Mentor | @katemn | May 31, 2017
In reply to @jennifernicole "Many of the people posting on here seem to know more that some of the doctors..." + (show)
@jennifernicole

Many of the people posting on here seem to know more that some of the doctors I have encountered. Can anyone share what evidence of MAC/MAI on a cat scan includes? Is it nodules, ground glasz opacities, tree in bud (all things on my report but not sure if that is consistant). I was diagnosed witj MAI through lavage washings but i don't know if it is the reason I am having issues or whether whatever issues i have been having made me vulnerable to the MAI ...

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@jentaylor Jen, I am very proud of you .. AND your 10 minute walk .. you are being a role model to Emma .. it is NOT what we SAY to our children .. it is what we DO that our children REMEMBER. That effort to walk 10 minutes means a lot MORE than a whole lot of words .. good for you .. you can pat yourself on the back. Our Community has and WILL BE behind you each of those steps you walk .. you have found that out .. BUT "If it IS TO BE .. it is UP TO YOU!" As the saying goes. Just as "Happiness is an Inside Job" .. "Health is an Inside Job" .. NOBODY can do it FOR us .. they can help us .. guide us .. support us .. but ultimately WE must grab those reins and drive the buggy into our future health and happiness .. both for you .. Emma and Ben. You go Girl! Hugs to all! Katherine

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Katherine, Alumni Mentor | @katemn | May 31, 2017
In reply to @jentaylor "Hi all, it's Jen Taylor, I haven't been in touch with you via "connect" for 2..." + (show)
@jentaylor

Hi all, it's Jen Taylor, I haven't been in touch with you via "connect" for 2 months. I was seen at Mayo in Minnesota over a 2 week period. I received so much info from all of the evaluation. I have been overwhelmed & scared & I have been trying to process all of this on my own. It hasn't been going to great so I'm trying to reach out & thought what a better group to talk to than others who are going through similar life experiences. After have a positive MAC culture from my bronchial washings, I was told that I had MAC & need to be treated. Previously (Sept. 2016) they diagnosed me with bronchiectasis. Nothing was seen on my CT scan or X-ray that showed the colonies seen from MAC. One of the big reasons I was going to Mayo was to get an expert opinion from Dr. Askamit. After Dr. Askamit read through my many, many, many records over a course of 10 years, since I first got sick, he concluded that at this time I may have MAC but it should not be treated at this time because it does not appear on a CAT scan. I must tell you that I was shocked by his response as it was completely different than my pulmonologist locally. And to be honest, I seem to have met the criteria to be considered to have MAC & to start treatment. I have many underlying illnesses & it's so hard to sort out what is what. Dr. Aksamit said to wait until it is seen on a CT scan. I have very mixed feelings about this. I am concerned that I should just wait until I become more infected to start treatment. Personally, I'd rather treat it BEFORE it gets worse. I guess I'm the only one who things that. My local pulmonologist changed his mind & decided not to start treatment at this time. Don't get me wrong, I do NOT want take all of these meds that can cause such grief & danger!!! I also don't want to just sit around & wait for things to get worse!!! Am I wrong in thinking that?? I value your opinion. Oh, and I have had the bronchiectasis diagnosis since Sept 2007 based on CT scan but now, when Dr. Askamit looked at a different CT scan, he said he didn't see that. I'm SO confused. I know one thing to be true...I'm in a mess of a health situation with multi system dysfunctional & disease. I am sick every day of my life for 10 years now & without an underlying diaganosis of what disease I have in the lungs. They said I would not make past 2 years but here I am, 10 years later, alive & trying my absolute best to lead as much of a normal life as possible...mostly for my family. I'm back to a point where I am requiring supplemental oxygen again. I had been able to breath on my own for the past 3 years. What changed? We don't know. I go into respiratory failure several times a year resulting in hospitalizations. We still can't answer the question of why my lungs don't convert oxygen from the air I breath in??? Anyway, I apologize for rambling on. I have been so withdrawn & sad, scared & lonely since receiving all of this new information. I also learned I have stage 1 heart failure & other metabolic syndrome that leaves me as the "perfect storm for a cardiac event" as the physician stated it. I ended up at Johns Hopkins a couple weeks ago with an excellent cardiologist who is trying to help my sort things out. My weight is a contributing factor to my alveolib hypoventilation &
We discussed having the stomach sleeve procedure to help me loose weight. There is so much on my mind & I apologize that I just rambeled on without even diving the long note into paragraphs!!! That's just how my mind has been lately. I am in NO way trying to ask for self-pity...I'm just trying to get through my reality of day to day life the best that I can & with the most quality that I can. I'm just so confused right now. Oh, I had another bronch done on Wed. & we sent the washings for culture & this will probably be the ultimate testing to see if the washing show positive for MAC. We won't know for 6 weeks! Again, I welcome your feedback... thanks for taking the time to read this!

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@jentaylor, Jen, my husband has multiple health issues .. diabetes one of them. I found him a new Endocrinologist at our local teaching university/hospital. She TOTALLY changed his insulin routine from his previous doctor .. he has made dramatic improvement. From an A1c of 9.4 to 8.6 to now 7.4. . As an example FOR HIM: Levemir FlexPen 45 units at bedtime, Metformin 1,000mg am and pm ,NovoLog FlexPen mealtimes 12-10-15 units, One Touch Ultra Touch Strips 3-4 per day . NOW THIS IS JUST FOR HIM!! But it gives you an example of what one doctor has come up with for ONE patient .. complicated .. but it is workng well! Just gives you an idea of what a GOOD Endocrinologist can come up with! Good luck and Hugs! Katherine

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Katherine, Alumni Mentor | @katemn | May 31, 2017
In reply to @jennifernicole "Hello, I have been reading through these posts for the past several weeks and have learned..." + (show)
@jennifernicole

Hello,
I have been reading through these posts for the past several weeks and have learned a TON. I so appreciate the willingness of people to share their experiences.
I am a 37 y/o who was recently diagnosed with MIA (from BAL) and bronchiectasis after having four episodes of pneumonia since August 2016. I have had asthma all of my life and severe GERD that was fixed after a Nissen Fundoplication in 1999. Other than that I am a healthy individual. I was also diagnosed with a hernia after a recent cat scan.
It isn't clear if the MAI is the cause if the pneumonia and related pulmonary issues or a consequence of already vulnerable lungs due to an unknowm cause. I didn't have the bronchiectasis in February, per the cat scan, but it has since developed, per scan earlier in May. I started azithromyacin (sp?) last week and am beginning the second antibiotic tonight (Ethabutol?) and am a little nervous, as I have two toddlers and a demanding job. Any advice about anything would be much appreciated!
Thank you.
Jen

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@anr38 .. do you have a first name .. more personal! My thought .. first I would recommend you read through the past pages of our Forum .. you will really educate yourself to your MAC disease .. you will feel SO much better by educating yourself .. more in power of your journey ... better able to advocate for yourself AND your medical choices.
BECAUSE NO ONE knows how ANY single one of us got MAC. There are LOTS of theories .. but there is little research for our disease .. so no definitive decision. Truthfully .. just THINK of the MILLIONS of dollars thrown at cancer research .. still not all the answers yet. SO my dear .. do NOT put your energy in asking WHY .. put your energy into educating yourself .. THEN getting the very best medical care possible! THAT is my opinion! By educating yourself you will END your confusion .. as you read you will realize WHY you should NOT be treated UNTIL the CT scan and sputum culture results show YOU should be treated. IF you have a GOOD doctor .. trust them. After reading the back pages you should be able to judge ALL your lung health! Feel free to ask us all your questions .. we have all walked your same journey! Sending you a hug! Katherine

REPLY
Kay Strand | @kaystrand | May 31, 2017
In reply to @jennifernicole "Hello, I have been reading through these posts for the past several weeks and have learned..." + (show)
@jennifernicole

Hello,
I have been reading through these posts for the past several weeks and have learned a TON. I so appreciate the willingness of people to share their experiences.
I am a 37 y/o who was recently diagnosed with MIA (from BAL) and bronchiectasis after having four episodes of pneumonia since August 2016. I have had asthma all of my life and severe GERD that was fixed after a Nissen Fundoplication in 1999. Other than that I am a healthy individual. I was also diagnosed with a hernia after a recent cat scan.
It isn't clear if the MAI is the cause if the pneumonia and related pulmonary issues or a consequence of already vulnerable lungs due to an unknowm cause. I didn't have the bronchiectasis in February, per the cat scan, but it has since developed, per scan earlier in May. I started azithromyacin (sp?) last week and am beginning the second antibiotic tonight (Ethabutol?) and am a little nervous, as I have two toddlers and a demanding job. Any advice about anything would be much appreciated!
Thank you.
Jen

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Kate
So good to see you back posting your intelligent and caring thoughts. We hope you and your husband are both feeling better. You are wise to take time off to recover.

Kate, you are missed when you are away, you are such a bright light to others along with practical advise.

Please continue to take care. Glad to have some "hugs" back.

Kay S.

REPLY
Katherine, Alumni Mentor | @katemn | May 31, 2017
In reply to @jennifernicole "Hello, I have been reading through these posts for the past several weeks and have learned..." + (show)
@jennifernicole

Hello,
I have been reading through these posts for the past several weeks and have learned a TON. I so appreciate the willingness of people to share their experiences.
I am a 37 y/o who was recently diagnosed with MIA (from BAL) and bronchiectasis after having four episodes of pneumonia since August 2016. I have had asthma all of my life and severe GERD that was fixed after a Nissen Fundoplication in 1999. Other than that I am a healthy individual. I was also diagnosed with a hernia after a recent cat scan.
It isn't clear if the MAI is the cause if the pneumonia and related pulmonary issues or a consequence of already vulnerable lungs due to an unknowm cause. I didn't have the bronchiectasis in February, per the cat scan, but it has since developed, per scan earlier in May. I started azithromyacin (sp?) last week and am beginning the second antibiotic tonight (Ethabutol?) and am a little nervous, as I have two toddlers and a demanding job. Any advice about anything would be much appreciated!
Thank you.
Jen

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RICHARD .. I ONLY POSTED BECAUSE I SAW NO ONE WAS ANSWERING A NEWCOMER .. I JUST CUT/PASTED FROM MY FILE CABINET .. ONLY TOOK A MINUTE

Hugs,

   Katherine

REPLY
Katherine, Alumni Mentor | @katemn | May 31, 2017
In reply to @jennifernicole "Hello, I have been reading through these posts for the past several weeks and have learned..." + (show)
@jennifernicole

Hello,
I have been reading through these posts for the past several weeks and have learned a TON. I so appreciate the willingness of people to share their experiences.
I am a 37 y/o who was recently diagnosed with MIA (from BAL) and bronchiectasis after having four episodes of pneumonia since August 2016. I have had asthma all of my life and severe GERD that was fixed after a Nissen Fundoplication in 1999. Other than that I am a healthy individual. I was also diagnosed with a hernia after a recent cat scan.
It isn't clear if the MAI is the cause if the pneumonia and related pulmonary issues or a consequence of already vulnerable lungs due to an unknowm cause. I didn't have the bronchiectasis in February, per the cat scan, but it has since developed, per scan earlier in May. I started azithromyacin (sp?) last week and am beginning the second antibiotic tonight (Ethabutol?) and am a little nervous, as I have two toddlers and a demanding job. Any advice about anything would be much appreciated!
Thank you.
Jen

Jump to this post

..... OOPS! I meant this for my husband .. so he wouldn't get after me for being on Connect when I am supposed to be resting!! OOPS! My error! Katherine

REPLY
Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Jun 1, 2017
In reply to @lindam272 "Tdrell, Thanks for that info! Is it too much trouble to locate the guidelines given for..." + (show)
@lindam272

Tdrell, Thanks for that info! Is it too much trouble to locate the guidelines given for future scanning so we can share those with our doctors? I was planning on asking my doc to order a CT scan for me to compare with earlier ones when I go back in the next 4 - 6 weeks and would like to have that information before calling if you still have it. Thanks so much! Linda

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@windwalker Thanks for your post. A family member has asthma and while she has never been diagnosed with MAC, her symptoms are always worse after swimming in a chlorinated pool which is unfortunate because swimming is such a good exercise for asthmatics. Teresa

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