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.

nick52 | @nick52 | Sep 27, 2017
In reply to @windwalker "@nick52, I looked up each individual ingredient in Clear Lungs, seems that the one ingredient, licorice,..." + (show)
@windwalker

@nick52, I looked up each individual ingredient in Clear Lungs, seems that the one ingredient, licorice, can be dangerous to many people with other underlying health issues. If more than three grams a day is used, it can lower potassium levels and cause high blood pressure. People with heart, liver, or kidney disease should not take suppliments with licorice. Also, people with diabetes should avoid it also, along with people who use corticosteroids; which is most patients with COPD. One needs to discuss this licorice ingredient with their doctor before use. Gosh, licorice! Who knew??

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Dear pfists,

Let us know how things goes.  I check on google to find the book herbal antibiotics and can&apos;t find it on the web.  You wouldn&apos;t have an address where I could order the book. Thanks Nicole

REPLY
pfists | @pfists | Sep 27, 2017
In reply to @windwalker "@nick52, I looked up each individual ingredient in Clear Lungs, seems that the one ingredient, licorice,..." + (show)
@windwalker

@nick52, I looked up each individual ingredient in Clear Lungs, seems that the one ingredient, licorice, can be dangerous to many people with other underlying health issues. If more than three grams a day is used, it can lower potassium levels and cause high blood pressure. People with heart, liver, or kidney disease should not take suppliments with licorice. Also, people with diabetes should avoid it also, along with people who use corticosteroids; which is most patients with COPD. One needs to discuss this licorice ingredient with their doctor before use. Gosh, licorice! Who knew??

Jump to this post

@nick52
The Author is Stephen Harrod Buhner

"Herbal Antibiotics, 2nd Edition: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-resistant Bacteria"
It can be found on Amazon...
Sorry I didn't give its full name the first time.
Shari

REPLY
Lisa Y | @tutti | Sep 28, 2017
In reply to @joan912 "My husband was diagnosed with MAC and subsequently bronchiectasis. His doctor at first prescribed the big..." + (show)
@joan912

My husband was diagnosed with MAC and subsequently bronchiectasis. His doctor at first prescribed the big 3, but later told him not to take any, if he won't take all 3. He had a bad reaction to Rifabutin, which caused chest pains. He asked if there was a substitute for that, but apparently not.

He had 2 CT Scans, one in March, the second in May. The second did show some improvement, but also diagnosed bronchiectasis, which the first Scan did not. He asked for another one this month. Now his doctor told him that he doesn't need another CT Scan at all, and, if anything, he could have a Chest X-ray. A chest X-ray cannot diagnose bronchiectasis so, to me, her response is outrageous. His doctor seems to be very ineffective and doesn't seem to care about his well-being. She never asks how he is, nor offer any solutions to his constant sputum. I'm afraid to ask for another pulmonologist at Kaiser, because I'm afraid they will back each other up, or at least not contradict each other.

Does anyone have experience with Kaiser? My husband wants to see numerous other pulmonologists in other cities and wants me to take time off from work (let alone spending a lot of money since it will all be out of pocket), to make appointments for him (he doesn't work). I simply cannot do so, since I have no backup for my job. I'm willing to travel to one place, maybe Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

If I can stay local, does anyone have a recommendation for a well-respected, knowledgeable MAC doctor in the Bay Area of California?

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I have an question.  I know that hot tubs are a no-no with bronchiectasis/mycobacterium abscesses. But is an indoor pool for exercise a no-no too??? I have a friend who has invited me to do jazzercise in the pool. I told her I would have to let her know if I could do it with this lung disease.  I hope someone knows the answer. 

Thanks, Lisa @tutti

REPLY
Jo Ann K | @jkiemen | Sep 28, 2017
In reply to @windwalker "@nick52, I looked up each individual ingredient in Clear Lungs, seems that the one ingredient, licorice,..." + (show)
@windwalker

@nick52, I looked up each individual ingredient in Clear Lungs, seems that the one ingredient, licorice, can be dangerous to many people with other underlying health issues. If more than three grams a day is used, it can lower potassium levels and cause high blood pressure. People with heart, liver, or kidney disease should not take suppliments with licorice. Also, people with diabetes should avoid it also, along with people who use corticosteroids; which is most patients with COPD. One needs to discuss this licorice ingredient with their doctor before use. Gosh, licorice! Who knew??

Jump to this post

 

 

I still think is it ashamed that there is so little research and progress in finding a better treatment that we have to resort to finding alternatives ourselves.

How do we get the word out there? Is this a reportable to State Public Health Departments, the CDC etc. If not, maybe it should be. That was more attention

will be focused on this and hopefully more research in treatments.

Jo Ann K

 

REPLY
pfists | @pfists | Sep 28, 2017

@windwalker888
Hi Terri
I went to the website for the Nitric Oxide study being done and they concluded another small study that was very encouraging for us with NTB. They are now doing one more 10 person study.
One person went 7000 to 500 colonizing NTM
The other person went to 0 colonizing NTM. That was in just three weeks time.
Let all hope and pray that this option becomes available to our community here!

Here is a link
https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/09/13/1120291/0/en/AIT-Therapeutics-Adjuvant-Nitric-Oxide-Treatment-Shown-to-be-Safe-and-Effective-in-the-Compassionate-Use-Setting-in-Cystic-Fibrosis-Patients-with-Non-tuberculous-Mycobacteria-NTM-I.html

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8 replies
tdrell | @tdrell | Sep 28, 2017

Pfists...thanks for sharing this....l wonder if they will try on those with MAC type of NTM? TDrell

REPLY
pfists | @pfists | Sep 28, 2017

@tdrell
It should work on the aviam type if it works on the abcessus type I would think for sure.
One article states that it should work on all the co infections that come with NTM such as pseudomas and fungus and bacterias in general.
Shari
Pfists

REPLY
joan912 | @joan912 | Sep 28, 2017
In reply to @pfists "@windwalker888 Hi Terri I went to the website for the Nitric Oxide study being done and..." + (show)
@pfists

@windwalker888
Hi Terri
I went to the website for the Nitric Oxide study being done and they concluded another small study that was very encouraging for us with NTB. They are now doing one more 10 person study.
One person went 7000 to 500 colonizing NTM
The other person went to 0 colonizing NTM. That was in just three weeks time.
Let all hope and pray that this option becomes available to our community here!

Here is a link
https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/09/13/1120291/0/en/AIT-Therapeutics-Adjuvant-Nitric-Oxide-Treatment-Shown-to-be-Safe-and-Effective-in-the-Compassionate-Use-Setting-in-Cystic-Fibrosis-Patients-with-Non-tuberculous-Mycobacteria-NTM-I.html

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Hopefully this will be useful for people with MAC. This seems to be much less intensive than the Big 3 antibiotic treatment, and perhaps, even more successful.

REPLY
boomerexpert | @boomerexpert | Sep 28, 2017
In reply to @pfists "@windwalker888 Hi Terri I went to the website for the Nitric Oxide study being done and..." + (show)
@pfists

@windwalker888
Hi Terri
I went to the website for the Nitric Oxide study being done and they concluded another small study that was very encouraging for us with NTB. They are now doing one more 10 person study.
One person went 7000 to 500 colonizing NTM
The other person went to 0 colonizing NTM. That was in just three weeks time.
Let all hope and pray that this option becomes available to our community here!

Here is a link
https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/09/13/1120291/0/en/AIT-Therapeutics-Adjuvant-Nitric-Oxide-Treatment-Shown-to-be-Safe-and-Effective-in-the-Compassionate-Use-Setting-in-Cystic-Fibrosis-Patients-with-Non-tuberculous-Mycobacteria-NTM-I.html

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Glad to see an entity in the US is taking this up...research on it has been ongoing for years in the UK.

REPLY
pfists | @pfists | Sep 28, 2017
In reply to @pfists "@windwalker888 Hi Terri I went to the website for the Nitric Oxide study being done and..." + (show)
@pfists

@windwalker888
Hi Terri
I went to the website for the Nitric Oxide study being done and they concluded another small study that was very encouraging for us with NTB. They are now doing one more 10 person study.
One person went 7000 to 500 colonizing NTM
The other person went to 0 colonizing NTM. That was in just three weeks time.
Let all hope and pray that this option becomes available to our community here!

Here is a link
https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/09/13/1120291/0/en/AIT-Therapeutics-Adjuvant-Nitric-Oxide-Treatment-Shown-to-be-Safe-and-Effective-in-the-Compassionate-Use-Setting-in-Cystic-Fibrosis-Patients-with-Non-tuberculous-Mycobacteria-NTM-I.html

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Wow seriously?
We in the US seem to be always behind the eight ball in these sort of things.
Europe is non GMO, non mercury in filling ect.

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