Cold turkey! I never had a negative culture, just got to the point where I could no longer tolerate the side effects and my lungs were looking "better".
I have stayed healthy for 20 months now with 7% saline nebs, mucus thinning meds and airway clearance.
Recovery from the side effects took another year, but I began feeling better within about 2 weeks. I don't know if I would ever take the big 3 again...
Sue