Covid shot, MAC, and Smbacort

Hello, Rob and welcome to Mayo Connect. We are a community of patients and caregivers who try to help one another along the way, not medical professionals.

The most usual advice for people with lung problems, including MAC, is to stay up to date on all vaccines if your health permits. This helps you resist all the other "bugs" out there, that can really knock you down when your body is already fighting one infection. Since you are already current with your other vaccines, I assume you don't have adverse reactions, which is good.

My own inclination, since the RSV vaccine is new and I don't know whether or how severely I might react, was to have that vaccine separately, at least a week before either the new Covid booster or the flu shot. This week, my clinic issued exactly that guidance.

Also, in most parts of the country, it is a few weeks too early to get the flu vaccine as it's potency wanes week by week. So I will be getting my RSV shot this week, followed by Covid, then flu, 10 days or so apart. Inconvenient, but that is to avoid "stacking" reactions, which I know will happen to me.

The "gold standard" is of course, to ask your doctor - which you can do by way of a message - you don't need to wait for an appointment.
Sue

Sue, my cultures at not negative and ID Dr has already started the year of antibiotics countdown.

Renee, Have you had a new CT to show the nodules or cavities are shrinking? Or are the cultures showing less infection when grown out? Those can both be reasons to start counting down. If neither is true, recommendations are to consider adding or changing medications or even sometimes switching to daily dosing. What does your pulmo say?
Sue

Here is a list of Drs that treat NTM...https://ntminfo.org/united-states-of-america/

also a list of national support groups; perhaps contracting one of these groups would be helpful in getting names of local physicians

Jewish National in Denver may have more information

I think, but am not sure, most pulmonologists treat bronchiecstasis, but NTM is a bit more specialized

There are You Tube videos in English on how to use the Aerobika as well as instructions from National Jewish.
Good luck!

There are also instructions how to use aerobika that are included with the device- a respiratory therapist showed how to huff like a panting dog and then cough after 10-20 breaths with aerobika. I hope it helps

Second question: historically we have dog sat our daughter’s dog. The dog always comes freshly bathed. And we frequently visit them. Can we continue this given my MAC diagnosis
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Thanks
Rob

Hi Rob - As far as I know, there is no problem unless you are allergic to the dog.
I am and have been around all of my kids' furry pets since my diagnosis five years ago with no problem.
The ID doc cautioned me against being around birds except briefly (as at the zoo) and "not to het any idea about keeping chickens or other poultry." It is believed that my MAC came from exposure to the soil in my garden where we had feral chickens scratching and feeding.

Sue

I had 6 pigeons that made a home in my small horse barn for 2 years. they pooped like crazy.
I power washed the inside of the barn numerous times with out any face protection.
My symptoms started shortly after that moment about 10 years ago.

Dogs and cats can be carriers of Pseudomonas but so is your indoor plumbing drains! Immunity and taking sensible precautions is the key. I have always had pets and never plan not to. I wonder about being exposed to Pseudomonas (which is everywhere) when I took apart and cleaned out some smelly bathroom sink drains. Should have been wearing a mask or had someone else do the task!