@cheryl1954 I'm not sure what you mean by improved quality of life, but with bronchiectasis it is very important to identify the exact bacteria attacking your lungs, and test to see which drugs it will respond to.
This is not typical treatment if you have MAC, because Azithromycin is one of the drugs which needs to be used in combination and for a long time to fight a MAC infection. Using it as a prophylactic causes antibiotic resistant bacteria to take over, potentially making you worse.

Here is my story about Azithromycin about long-term azithromycin. For 3 years I was suffering ever more frequent bouts of bronchitis and pneumonia, constant asthma attacks, severe cough, weight loss and fatigue. Every visit to the doc or ER resulted in an x-ray, diagnosis of bronchitis or pneumonia, advice to neb more and use my rescue inhaler more, 2 weeks of oral prednisone and antibiotics. I would feel better for a few months, or weeks, and the cycle started over.

Finally, a sharp-eyed radiologist noted in the x-ray report "...evidence of bronchiectasis. Consider referral to pulmonology..." Within 2 weeks, I was seen, CT scan done, diagnosed with bronchiectasis with nodules and "pockets" (I now know they were small cavities). Sputum cultures were taken, pseudomonas identified in just over 1 week and over 2 month of antibiotics were started. He also started me on airway clearance and said no more prednisone for the asthma as it would make the infections worse.

Six weeks later, the doctor called and said I also had MAC, and we would begin treating it after the pseudo cleared. Over 18 months of 3 antibiotics, first 3 times a week, and then daily followed. Eventually my lungs looked better, but I still grew MAC in my cultures. The ID doc suspected that the overuse of Azithromycin in prior years made it less effective on my infection, but could not increase the doses any more. The drugs were making me so sick the ID doc stopped them, and a new pulmonologist switched me to 7% nebs (which I learned about on Connect.)

Here come my questions for you:
Are you being treated by a pulmonologist or infectious disease specialist experienced in treating people with bronchiectasis?
Do you have a diagnosis of MAC, Pseudomonas or another infection? Was it done using a culture of your sputum (takes up to 2 months to grow out the slow growing MAC bacteria, less for pseudomonas) or a bronchoscopy?

Sorry for the length of this message, but I wanted you to understand why the MAC experts are so insistent about proper diagnosis & treatment.

Sue