Natural remedies for MAC

Posted by med08 @med08, Sep 30, 2022

Some have posted they use Chinese herbs and acupuncture to help with MAC. Which herbs and what part of body do you get acupuncture and for what specifically?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

wabashacabin | @wabashacabin | Jul 4, 2023

Has anyone experienced folliculitis with MAI? I have been getting red bumps with a white center on my legs and arms. They itch sometimes. I've been putting hydrogen peroxide on them. I read that a compromised immune system can be a cause of folliculitis. I have Hashimotos and MAI. Only on airway clearance, Albuterol, 2.5 mg, 3ml and 7% sodium chloride. I've never experienced this before.
Thank you. Blk

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Jul 5, 2023

In reply to @wabashacabin "Has anyone experienced folliculitis with MAI? I have been getting red bumps with a white center..." + (show)

I have had folliculitis in the past, but I don't believe it is related to MAI. Here is what Cleveland Clinic has to say about folliculitis:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17692-folliculitis
Bad you mentioned Hashimoto's as well, and there are a number of skin conditions associated with low thyroid, including itching, rash, hives and in some cases folliculitis.
Maybe you should contact your primary or whoever is helping manage your Hashimoto's to find out if your meds need to be adjusted.
Sue

wabashacabin | @wabashacabin | Jul 5, 2023

In reply to @sueinmn "I have had folliculitis in the past, but I don't believe it is related to MAI...." + (show)

Thank you Sue... I have been using Eucalyptus essential oil and it seems to be settling down. Just diagnosed a month ago so thought it could be related. I appreciate your response. Bon

gjaleski | @gjaleski | Jul 5, 2023

In reply to @lp8 "I refuse to take the big 3. It would be conflicting with other autoimmune diseases I..." + (show)

Look up on Google "bacteriophage"

I am exploring mac phage treatment. UC San Diego has a department for phage therapy, as does Yale, NJH and U of Pittsberg.

silverlinda | @silverlinda | Jun 10 3:03pm

Hi new person here, I have COPD. Have had two bronchoscopies last biopsy said I have MAC baterial infection
in my bronchial tube. I also have celiac disease which means I have to eat gluten free.. which is hard but if I don't I get really sick. At present I only weigh 95 lbs. so I really don't need to loose any more weight! I use oxygen at night but if I get really congested I use it at home during the day also. I'm 67 yrs old. I tried the three antibiotics but just couldn't tolerate them. I have problems with meds that are red colored sometimes and one of them was really red and the other one was really strong like 800 mg. x 4 times a day. Ended up naseauted and terrible migraines that I just couldn't function. Also broke out in a red rash and itched really bad. As for right now I'm on Predisone twice daily , Azithromycin 250 mg once daily, theophylline 1/2 tablet daily and I take some vitamins. I have decided to try a few herbs so will let ya'll know if they help. I got Ashwagandha taking 2 daily, Ginger Root 1 daily, Paracleanse which is a blend of wormwood, clove with Neem Extract and Fulvic acid using as directed and going to order some Mullein drops but haven't yet. Haven't got my results back from the last biopsy whether I still have the bacterial infection yet but I probably do since I only took the big 3 for two weeks before I had to stop them.

sweethighland | @sweethighland | Jun 10 5:17pm

In reply to @silverlinda "Hi new person here, I have COPD. Have had two bronchoscopies last biopsy said I have..." + (show)

Where did you get this herb recipe? Are you feeling better from taking all these? Neem is widely used in India and Southeast Asia. Ashwadandha is a fruit like cherry tomatoes that we used to eat when I was young.

irenea8 | @irenea8 | Jun 11 7:33am

In reply to @silverlinda "Hi new person here, I have COPD. Have had two bronchoscopies last biopsy said I have..." + (show)

Ashwaganda may cause more congestion/phelgm.

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Jun 11 9:23am

In reply to @silverlinda "Hi new person here, I have COPD. Have had two bronchoscopies last biopsy said I have..." + (show)

Good morning, and welcome to Mayo Connect. As you can see. we are a very busy group with a lot of experiences in living with MAC.

You might like to look at some of the resources we have assembled over time to get a good overview. May I suggest:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/mac-bronchiectasis/
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/resources-for-the-abcs-on-bronchiectasis-and-mac-ntm/
As far as using natural remedies, there are many that may help your body to fight infection, but there is nothing that will cure MAC. Just remember SUPPLEMENTS are NOT regulated, and you need to be careful about what you buy and where it is sourced, whether it is independently tested for purity and strength. Also, with compromised lungs, and your celiac disease, you need to be cautious about things that could make you worse.

One technique, however, that is very effective in driving down the amount of bacteria in the airways to give your body a chance to fight is to nebulize 7% saline then do airway clearance. Here is some information about it:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/7-saline-in-nebulizer-for-mac/
Are you being treated by a pulmonologist or ID doc familiar with MAC?

helen1000 | @helen1000 | Jun 11 11:38am

Kampo medicine case , extracted from above article: Hence, a bukuryoshigyakuto (Panax ginseng 1g, Aconiti tuber 1g, Glycyrrhizae radix 2g, Poria cocos 5g and Zingiber siccatum 2g) decoction (to infuse a total of 11 g of each herb with 400 ml of water for 30–40 min to make 200 ml, and to take in two divided doses) was started after a medical examination based on Kampo principles, while discontinuing the current treatment with clarithromycin, rifampicin and ethambutol. Within a few months, her eyesight improved, her gait disturbance also improved, and she no longer needed to use a wheelchair. Her appetite returned, and her hemoptysis and sputum gradually decreased. During the course of her treatment, she stopped taking bukuryoshigyakuto for a while due to the complexity of the decoction. She again recognized an increase in the hemoptysis and restarted the medication, and since then has never stopped it. Her HRCT image findings also improved. Although the middle lobe and lingular segment bronchiectasis showed no changes, bilateral centrilobular lesions and dorsal predominant bronchiolitis improved significantly (Figure 1B). Her body weight increased from 30 to 42 kg within 3 years after starting bukuryoshigyakuto. Her laboratory data also improved, to a neutrophil count of 2,880 /μl, lymphocytes of 1,063 /μl, albumin level of 3.9 g/dl and hemoglobin level of 11.4 g/dl (Table 1). Her shortness of breath, hemoptysis and sputum also finally improved, although she had some residual cough and slight numbness in her legs. Currently, continuing outpatient visits and bukuryoshigyakuto therapy have maintained her AFB smear and culture negative status

blm1007blm1007 | @blm1007blm1007 | Jun 11 12:48pm

In reply to @helen1000 "Kampo medicine case , extracted from above article: Hence, a bukuryoshigyakuto (Panax ginseng 1g, Aconiti tuber..." + (show)

TO: Helen100 You mentioned: "extracted from above article:" Which article or website did you come across showing the information above and regarding Kampo medicine case? Thanks

View More View Less

Please sign in or register to post a reply.