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

@rmason @windwalker - Here is what I found from Kate's post on her routine. You have to filter out all the other drugs she was taking for other health problems she had:
**the probiotics should not be taken for at least two hours after you take the antibiotics
SCHEDULE FOR MEDS AND VITAMINS November 2011
1. Wake up: take probiotic, Aciphex & Synthroid on empty stomach
(Aciphex-at least 1/2 hour before eating-1 hour after. Separate Probiotic from antibiotic by at least 2 hours!)
2. Wait 30 minutes: Eat breakfast .. .. take regular a.m. meds & vitamins
3. 1 puff Qvar .. rinse mouth well .. brush teeth.(SET 5 CELL PHONE ALARMS!!).
4. ONE hour later take Homeopathic remedy after nothing in mouth for one hour
5. AT LEAST THREE hours later .. take Rifampin on empty stomach.
(Rifampin 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal with a full glass of water- 4 hour after vitamins)
*( IF POSSIBLE TAKE 2nd PROBIOTIC 2 hours after Rifampin)
6. AT LEAST ONE hour later.. take antiobiotics except Rifampin with a snack.
*OR 2 hours after Ripampin IF TOOK 2nd PROBIOTIC* (Avelox-4 hours after or 8 hour before multi vitamin with a full glass of water)
7. Six hours to Seven hours later take regular p.m. meds (Crestor &Evista) & multi vitamin & Nioxin (zinc)
after evening meal or snack. At least 2hrs (before or after) calcium, magnesium,iron or zinc.
8. Eight hours later take 2nd probiotics on empty stomach. **probiotics must be taken at least two hours after you take antibiotics
9. Nebulize Amikacin. Take nebulizer apart, clean in hot soapy water & sterilize nebulizer!
AVERAGE AMIKACIN SCHEDULE BETWEEN DAY TO DAY-try to stay same every day within 4 hours .. at least within a 12 hour period!
10. Before going to bed: take Homeopathic remedy after nothing in mouth for an hour. (as needed)
11. 1 puff Qvar .. rinse mouth well .. brush teeth.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NOTES ON TAKING ANTIBIOTICS
Wake up am probiotic on empty stomach
Ripampin 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal with a full glass of water- 4 hour before vitamins
Ethambutol and Avelox (sleep disturbance) with Azithromycin: after breakfast with a full glass of water
8 hour before or 4 hours after multi vitamin
Bedtime: take regular p.m. meds & multi vitamin, Evista, Lipitor and pm probiotic.
Separate multi vitamin & probiotics from antibiotics by at least 4 hours if possible)

I hope this helps you. Linda

@windwalker It is fortunate that I was not diagnosed when my household consisted of... 14 cats and 2 dogs. Whew! I am an X rescuer and feral cat caretaker. (Ferals not included in above numbers) You are right...no parting with my kitties. Through attrition my group is down to 3 cats & 1 dog. I am slowly closing in on sanity. 🙂 Poodles...what a fabulous idea with no shedding & cute as a bug! So I need to get a nebulizer? I had asked my doc on my 1st apt with him & he said do not add moisture to my lung. What saline solution do you use? Should I get the Clear Lung that I hear about on this post? Looks like I need to work on an arsenal for this fight. (and a new dr) Thanks for your input and sorry for so many questions!....Oh... and then God made the Sphinx cat!

Thank you Suzie... I appreciate your info!

@alleycatkate It might be a good idea to not get more cats after these two have lived out their life. It is said that the dander is so sticky that it can be found on the walls six months later after a cat is gone from the house. You may want to look into it more if you want to continue to bring cats into your home. A hepa air purifier is def a good idea. I have read on asthma sites to bathe your cat regularly. We both know how much they would enjoy that. Not! Enough said. On a positive note.....what a rewarding life to be involved with animal rescue! My best friend does this also. She does animal transports; mainly dogs. She drives them to other states for adoption or lets some stay overnight at her home during a transit. Animal lovers are the best!

@alleycatkate, Hi, you asked about trying Clear Lung. I think it would be good thing. I have read the list of ingredients; they are lung opening herbs like black licorice, and others that calm a cough. I use Breathe Easy tea by Traditional Medicine, it has some of the same ingredients as Clear Lung. The tea always relieved that extreme tightness in my chest and cleared out mucous. The tea is sometimes carried in grocery stores in the Natural Food aisle. I asked my grocer to carry it and now they do.

@alleycatkate About nebulizing saline....it is recommended that people with bronchiectasis and/or mac do inhaled treatments of 7% sodium chloride (saline) to thin mucous and make it easier to cough up. Plus, the saline is an irritant that induces cough to make you bring up the phlgm. If you don't have issues with mucous in your lungs, then maybe you don't need it. You said your doctor said not to add moisture to your lung. There is something to be said about that too. Excess moisture invites a bacterial breeding ground. When I lived in Virginia, I would get lung infections all of the time. My lungs felt wet all of the time. I would go to Tucson, Az. To 'dry out' my lungs. It always worked. I eventually moved to Tucson and did well for awhile. As my body acclimated to that climate, the bronchiectasis continued to progress and then I caught MAC from our stupid hot tub. I now live in S.C. near the ocean (6 yrs) and it has been the best place for me. Bottom line is, you can discuss it more with your doctor and follow your gut feelings about what your body needs.

Nothing more rewarding in my book but I am an "X" rescuer now. It takes it's toll after many years. I am chuckling over bathing my cats...

The doctors have all recommended Musinex and we have never heard of Clear Lung. Do you know the difference between the two. Musinex works very well loosening the mucous so that my husband can spit it out.

@windwalker ...very appreciative of all of your time and the information you have posted for me. A huge thank you! Somehow I just imagined that you lived near the Mayo Clinic in FL and not S.C. I live on the coast and walk the beach every morning. Somehow I think the salt air is good for me...at least I hope that. Funny, still trying to get my head around bathing the cats....haha.

Suzie2017...I think MAC gets disseminated thru out the whole body if a person is extremely immune compromised .....as were AIDs patients in the 80's before meds to treat the HIV virus were discovered.
I am wondering if your hubby has an inguinal hernia or a hip issue...as in osteoarthritis.
Tdrell