How is MAC not contagious to another person with lung disease?

@sueinmn Thank you for your reply and sharing your experience. What you went through sounds difficult and exhausting and I wish you did not have to go through that.
I am considering antibiotics 3x per week prescribed by the ID dr and will review with the new pulmonologist but it is concerning and no, at this time, I do not fully trust my care team. Specifically because I do not have all the disciplines. Allergies and asthma are at the root of my condition and thankfully, my allergist is phenomenal. I do need a way to reduce the inflammation and prevent re-occurring infections and airway clearance may not be enough. I do like the thought of the monitoring approach but I need to discuss this with the new pulmonologist as I cannot assess the risk on my own. My diagnosis is very new (Nov 2025) so it will take some time to find the right team and develop a care plan. This site, all the feedback, has been tremendously helpful especially learning about airway clearance techniques and I have already seen an improvement. I appreciate you insights and experience.

Side effects are a common experience with long-term antibiotic therapy. I had several issues, including early nausea & diarrhea - resolved by taking a probiotic and timing the medication so I slept through the worst discomfort. I also had serious fatigue, but whether it was from the drugs or the infection is hard to say. I also had to switch one antibiotic early on due to intolerable nausea - long time ago, so I don't remember which one.

As for serious side effects, I avoided all alcohol and NSAIDs to protect my liver, since some of the meds are hard on it. I have had tinnitus for years - but whether the drugs made it worse, or aging or something else, I cannot say. My hearing was never great, but didn't get any worse with the meds; it is still monitored every year and seems to be in a slow downward slide, more related to age and heredity than the drugs. I had my eyes checked every 6 months based on my ophthalmologist's recommendation and had no eye issues.

All that said, the infection was severe - it would not have gone away by itself. I couldn't walk one block without coughing and having to rest. I had severe fatigue, a constant low-grade fever and was losing weight.

My diagnosis was MAC & Pseudomonas with Nodular Bronchiectasis & ground glass opacities, but no cavities. Knowing what I do now, if I had been less ill, I would have asked to try airway clearance with 7% saline for 6 months to see if I could knock the infection back.