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How do you distinguish between a Bronchiectasis vs NTM flare ?
I have both BE & NTM. Last CT stated mild BE. Waiting on a recent NTM culture . Last one was a 1+.
I’m currently having a exacerbation, Just curious from those of you who have more experience than me, how do you know which one is flared?
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What are your symptoms of a flare?
@amap2025 fever, increased mucus , change in color & texture ( this time brownish, hints of red color ), extreme fatigue ). More coughing .
@cholash For me "flare" or exacerbation is exactly what you describe, except that I currently do not have NTM. It means my body is being attacked by a virus or infection, and it immediately lands in my lungs. According to my excellent pulmonologists, I now understand it is not important to know what is flaring - just to know when to jump to my pre-determined treatment regimen.
What has you pulmonologist advised you to do in the case of a flare? At what point are you instructed to contact them?
@sueinmn In the past 6mths I’ve started realizing that my local pulmonologist has left many holes in my treatment . To answer your question , whenever I felt something coming on and sick feeling ( it was never called an exacerbation ), I would tell her my symptoms & she would put me on azithromycin, sometimes a Medrol Dose Pack. Last December I went out to UT Tyler for a consult , and that’s where I was better educated on airway clearance , exacerbations , and started for the first time in 6 years sending in sputum samples.
Due to Tyler being a 2 1/2 hr drive, I’m in the referral process of becoming a patient with a pulmonologist at Baylor , Dallas , who will hopefully be a Recognized Center of Excellence before long . They are in the paperwork process So all that being said , I’m aware there hasn't been the best care with any of my exacerbations , unfortunately . Currently , my pulmonologist is out of the country , so I had to get treatment from primary care …very unsettling .
What I was really trying to ask, though , is if a NTM flare feels any different than a regular bacterial or viral flare ? Since I’m newly diagnosed with MAC, and in the thick of an exacerbation , I can’t help but wonder if the MAC could be worsening . Do MAC flares present any different? Side note, I’m waiting on recent MAC culture .