Anti-Mycobacterial Activity of Garlic

Sorry to be so dense but what is NTM? I've seen this so many time but have never seen it written out or explained.

Never be afraid to ask - some of us "regulars" get lazy, and use abbreviations assuming everyone knows what we mean - that's our mistake. So, NTM is Non-tubercular mycobacteria. TB is probably the most common of the Mycobacteria that infect humans. When we say we have MAC, we mean mycobacteria avium complex - there are several versions that can infect us, probably the most usual is M. avium intercellulare (so some people say MAI) - then there are the M. abscessus, M. gordonae, M. hominum ...

I will be more careful with using jargon and initials when chatting with others, try to remember not everyone reading it knows our shorthand- thanks for the reminder.
Sue

Thanks Sue. I should have guessed that because I had MAC about 8 years ago and know their abbreviations. Supposedly "cured" after the 14-15 months of antibiotics. But it's back in both lungs and diffuse, so surgery is not an option. I'm avoiding the antibiotics this time around because of my kidney disease and because it would probably recur anyway, due to my bronchiectasis, COPD and generally weakened immune system. We all know we can't avoid air, water and at least some dirt!

I really appreciate all the good tips on this forum. I'm doing okay and the 7% saline nebs do help, along with the Air Physio (like Aribika) and the Stiolto for the COPD. I have used a Neti pot morning and night for many years for nasal washing. My Pulmo also recommended a tea of fresh lemon & fresh mint (a Middle Eastern "recipe")to help bring up mucus. He told me to keep doing my deep Yoga breathing, which I've done since the late 70's, because he never hears any wheezing or crackles in my lungs (knock on wood).

Not a cure or treatment but as a comfort measure, I've been sleeping with a humidifier with a couple drops of eucalyptus oil. Weather has been so dry here that I was waking up with blood in my nose and a very dry mouth. That has resolved with the humidifier. Also, good old fashioned Vicks rubbed on my lungs at night when they feel tight eases that tightness and helps me sleep comfortably.

I am new to this group and newly diagnosed. I don’t have a lot of experience but I have a very interesting experience with Allicin. I travelled to visit some friends over the Christmas holiday before I had even had a chance to talk with my pulmonologist about my MAC diagnosis. My friends that I was spending the holidays with were the perfect people to land with. Just by chance their life experience fighting for their lung health had guided them to using Allicin in a very interesting way. I’ll explain the process here and you could give it a try. I tried it for a week and was quite amazed at the difference I experienced in my sputum production. When I got back with my pulmonologist I agreed to put that aside for a while and try all of her recommendations first. I will return to the Allicin therapy after giving some respectful adherence to my doctor’s guidelines.

Here’s what I was taught:
Put three good size cloves of garlic peeled into a Ziploc bag, close it and lay it flat on a solid surface. Using the flat side of a meat pounder (?) Or some blunt rubber or wooden hammer like to tool, smash cloves well. Let stand 10 minutes. This 10 minutes allows the Allicin chemical compound to form. Then, sit comfortably and hold the open plastic bag around your nose and mouth and breath normally for a half hour. Careful not to let the “seal” above your nose become loose because it irritates your eyes. Twice a day.

Good luck if you give this a try! And I will be around. I will post a lot of the links to scientific studies about allicin that have come about recently. To be continued!

This is a link to a Review on PubMed of Allicin studies:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32207097/
And I’d like to point out that this really nice and wonderful guy on the YouTube video has missed the crucial 10 minute resting time after crushing garlic to allow for the formation of the chemical compound Allicin.

Here's article about allicin vapors being used against common lung bugs, alone or in combination with antibiotics.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6151386/
"Because of the problems of attaining effective concentrations of allicin where it is needed when it is consumed orally, direct inhalation in the case of lung infections seems an attractive alternative. The successful treatment of tuberculosis patients by inhalation of garlic vapor has been reported."

Does your face smell like garlic?

Does your MAC limit your activities of daily living? Sure seems like you might be sitting for long periods of time with nothing better to do than try to be witty? Cute? Seriously?

Umm! Weird response! I am really interested in natural remedies and I seriously wanted to know. Can you go out after, does it last long? I can’t reiterate enough that was a serious question. I’m not trying to be funny or witty!