Do odds of culture conversion change with time elapsed?

@alizdas Welcome to Mayo Connect, and to our MAC group.
I think you will get an array of responses to this question, but typically conversion takes at least 6-9 months for most people. For some of us, the colonies simply dwindle, and our lung images begin to show healing. In my case, I had no conversion to negative when we ended the antibiotics, but my lungs were clear. That was over 4 years ago, before Arikayce was routinely available. I often wonder if my results would have been different if that was added.
But with airway clearance and other precautions, I have remained healthy without a recurrence of symptoms for 4 1/2 years.
Can you tell us where you were treated, and what type of NTM you have, that they started with Arikayce and 2 antibiotics?

Thank you for your helpful response regarding conversion time. In response to your queries, I feel ok with putting out info about myself but not info that might identify others. Suffice it to say, when diagnosed, disease progression was already extensive in both lungs. I am happy to say that so far I am tolerating the meds fairly well. Again, thanks for the info on conversion time.

Sue I wonder what you mean my lungs were clear. I am still on antibiotics, converted to negative 10 months ago but my lungs are not clear . There are nodules, mucus plugs and the doctor says except of one area “stable”. Should the lungs scan show improvement because mine do not.

As to lung improvement, my nodules either shrank or completely disappeared. My ground glass opacities were gone, and the area that looked like it might be an emerging cavity shrank. After a 3rd scan, the nodules were stable.
I am not sure what your doc means by mucus plugs, I never had any description like that on my scans. But with Mucinex, NAC & airway clearance, I was always able to bring up mucus.
As for whether lungs "should" show improvement, I really don't know the answer.