@lindam272, Linda and @anr38, Angie, doing so so. Just have faith .. things get better! Hugs! Katherine

From my File Cabinet:
TESTING-baseline and periodic 1. Ethambutol – color vision and visual acuity: GET BASELINE PRIOR TO STARTING .. THEN QUARTERLY
2. Azithromycin – hearing and balance: GET BASELINE PRIOR TO STARTING .. THEN QUARTERLY
3. Rifampin - CBD (blood counts), liver and kidney function tests: GET BASELINE PRIOR TO STARTING .. THEN MONTHLY

OR TESTING:
BASELINE: HEARING AND VISION (Vision: Additional testing for eyes are use of the “eye chart” with letters read at 20 feet, and a red-green color book to distinguish changes in the ability to visualize colors.)

MONTHLY: BLOOD COUNTS, LIVER AND KIDNEY FUNCTION TESTS, SPUTUM CULTURES
QUARTERLY: HEARING and VISION
NOTE: Ethambutol – color vision and visual acuity – monthly ( Additional testing for eyes are use of the “eye chart” with letters read at 20 feet, and a red-green color book to distinguish changes in the ability to visualize colors.)

**** Lab tests:
CBC- Complete Blood Count (CBC)
ALT- Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) LIVER
alk phosphatase- Alkaline Phosphatase - LIVER
serum creatinine-. Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance-SERUM CREATININE - KIDNEY

TESTING RECOMMENDED FOR VITAMIN LEVELS 1. Ask for your VD-3 level to be checked .. they can get too low. Speak to your Doctor first .. but I took: NATURE MADE brand 5,000 IU of Vitamin D-3 (NOT VD) *From our member @tdrell Terri, my Primary Dr at NJH doubled the VD I take to 4000 units a day... my lab test showed I was at 50 and she said she likes to see it at 100.
2. Ask for your B-12 level to be checked .. they can get too low
3. Personally I always purchase the brand Nature Made vitamins for it's quality .. ' Nature Made is the first brand to earn the USP Verified Mark on one of its products, an independent certification for quality and purity.'
TESTING-AFTER ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT ENDS I can ONLY speak for myself about what testing is correct after going off antibiotic treatment. Personally I had quarterly check ups with my doctor including sputum cultures initially .. then as he put the 'puzzle' together based on the results of the sputum culture/Xray/Pulmunary Testing ..deciding when to go to semi annual .. then to annual .. sometimes then back to semi annual. It is ALL up to your GOOD Infectious Disease doctor who is KNOWLEDGEABLE about MAC. But it is my understanding there SHOULD be follow up check ups to CONFIRM that the MAC in your lungs is STILL negative/NOT colonizing. Without CONTINUING checkups (I expect for my life time) we have NO idea if the MAC is colonizing .. OR IF we are still negative! Those nasty critters DON'T disappear .. just lie there in waiting .. that is why it is so important to take good care of ourselves .. eat healthy .. exercise .. stay positive .. be serene! Hope this is helpful. Katherine
TESTING-AFTER ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT ENDS I can ONLY speak for myself about what testing is correct after going off antibiotic treatment. Personally I had quarterly check ups with my doctor including sputum cultures initially .. then as he put the 'puzzle' together based on the results of the sputum culture/Xray/Pulmunary Testing ..deciding when to go to semi annual .. then to annual .. sometimes then back to semi annual. It is ALL up to your GOOD Infectious Disease doctor who is KNOWLEDGEABLE about MAC. But it is my understanding there SHOULD be follow up check ups to CONFIRM that the MAC in your lungs is STILL negative/NOT colonizing. Without CONTINUING checkups (I expect for my life time) we have NO idea if the MAC is colonizing .. OR IF we are still negative! Those nasty critters DON'T disappear .. just lie there in waiting .. that is why it is so important to take good care of ourselves .. eat healthy .. exercise .. stay positive .. be serene! Hope this is helpful. Katherine

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