@clynnford Hello, Bronchiectasis and the associated infections are a constantly evolving puzzle for many of us. The answers of which infection to treat and when is "It depends."

You say you had one appointment with the NP - was this in the pulmonology office or at your primary? I ask because there are protocols for treating MAC and aspergillus found in a sputum culture, depending on other findings like symptoms and the condition of our lungs. These may not be well known to someone not well-versed in bronchiectasis, and they may jump right into antibiotic treatment as the first step.

I have been diagnosed on various cultures with aspergillus, MAC and pseudomonas. The aspergillus disappeared on its own - probably with daily nebs and airway clearance, it was an "incidental" finding in one culture. The pseudomonas took 3-4 courses of various antibiotics over 2 months to leave. The MAC was still present after 18 months of the Big-3, at which time my docs & I stopped antibiotics due to their side effects, even though the cultures were still positive for infection. With 7% saline, airway clearance and vigilant control of my asthma & bronchiectasis, I have stayed healthy for 3 years as of next week. My pulmonologist says the CT still looks clear of any obvious pockets/cavities of MAC. A number of people on Connect are like me, we watch and wait to treat, and do airway clearrance.

When you were diagnosed with bronchiectasis, were you instructed in how/when to do airway clearance to help keep your lungs clear?
Sue