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@desertdwellerjh

Hi. I have not logged in for a long time and see I have a lot of catching up to do. I live in Tucson AZ - dry climate. Here are some points that may be helpful/encouraging to others:
My mother who also lived in Tucson was diagnosed with MAI/bronchiectasis at about age 75 in the mid-1970’s, was treated with the standard things at that time, and lived until she was 89. Periodically she needed antibiotics to quell side effects and the last I would say five years of her life she needed oxygen at night and then the last year or so 24 hours.
I was her caregiver and developed MAC/MAI/bronchiectasis in 2012 diagnosed by bronchoscopy. I went through the azithromycin/ethambutol/rifampin routine for a year and a half. Never developed eye issues but did see eye doctor every 6 months during and follow up to be sure. Quit the rifampin part after I think it was 9 months because with each dose I developed a fever of 102-3 and felt like I had a major flu. This put my disease into remission and the CT scans have confirmed this status.
I have been rx’d azithromycin prophylactically when I have contracted the flu or pneumonia given my bronchiecstasis. I have contracted covid three times and took paxlovid once it was available the third time this past January.
I now plan to read and catch up to understand eg the use of saline that I noticed.
I am glad this group is here. I know my lungs are not as strong as they used to be.

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Replies to "Hi. I have not logged in for a long time and see I have a lot..."

After 13 months on the cocktail of drugs, I started to get sick with flu like symptoms. One time was admitted to hospital for 10 days this year in May. NOBODY would listen to me about how the drugs were making me sick. Not even the ID doctor who put me on them. I came home and stopped taking them. Demanded a phone conference with the ID doctor instead of office visit, as I was too weak to go. He was VERY RUDE to me. Told me to start taking the drugs individually on different days to find out which one was the problem. On June 8th, I took the Rifampin. 2 1/2 hour later, I had the shakes and fever with Oxygen level of 79 and elevated heart rate. 911 was called. They started working on me and transported me to a different hospital. Doctors at this hospital have pulled me off all of the drugs. They said the MAC is gone and there is no need for them and they will monitor me for it. The other ID doctor had told me in February the MAC was gone, but wanted to leave me on the drugs until August. Long story short, Doctors need to listen to their patients and take what they say seriously. That ID doctor could have killed me.