Non-Tuberculosis Mycobacterium - Soft Tissue Inflammation

Getting right to it. I’ve done a lot of reading as I’m an obsessive Artist Type. Not a mycologist. There are from what I e gathered around 200 known types of Non-Tuberculosis Mycobacterium/a(?) Common types seem to be everywhere but only a few of ‘the lucky ones’ get it. MAC is a more common variety… hot tub lung or Fish Tank Granuloma I think is a name of another stand. Often immunosuppressants and antibiotics are used at first and mask what’s really happening, steroids can quietly make it worse and often a person can have very normal looking blood work for months, (even with a full on expression with plaques or lesions or abscesses or misleading MRI’s showing swelling in tendon areas, potentially intraosseous structures, fluid in tendons-synovial fluid, cysts under the skin without abscess, cysts in the synovial fluid… and your wbc count can be normal…) it’s the Monocytes and or other long term inflammatory markers that should be observed… I think.

Often misdiagnosis or non-diagnoses can happen for years it seems while it does it damage . Steroid shots it seems mildly help and or make it worse… like way way WAY-worse. (Gen X here) so … You could have mild to mediocre swelling in hands or feet and think it’s arthritic… or RA… drs may overlook NTM In especially if you have autoimmune blood work pattens - positive ANAs or RA or lupus, lung disease, HIV… NTM can (one of em) cause positive TB tests as well ( again I’ve read… I’m college educated BFA in Art not Biology) Hands, Feet, are typical, scary when it hits lymphatic system, varieties can rash up on tip of nose, scalp, behind ears, groin even… on kids it is horrible or can get pretty bad, but usually starts out very mild and unconcerning… and often (like every case study I’ve read) starts out with being misdiagnosed unless you are full on full of plaques and or abscesses... It seems to hide itself well and can sit indolent for long periods without symptoms. Direct inoculation like a puncture of any kind or a cut or scrape or splinter even that becomes infected… blistering can express mildly and then heal while invading soft tissues… It can be slow growing or rapid. I think I read about a woman underwent surgery for basic planters fasciitis… and it turned out to be a variety of NTM. If you have weird non-pulmonary expressions, neuropathy, pain radiating or starting on hands limbs skin, please share your experiences and symptoms. Your Journey. Even if you aren’t sure if you have it or not. Fungus can do bad things to hands/tendons, feet, head and affect the skeletal system as well. This doesn’t just affect poor people in poor countries as one Dr put it to me… NTM can cause mild inflammation or be misdiagnosed at first as cellulitis and basic bacterial tests will not be positive. Currently and Sadly Acid fast bacilli tests and dna tests are a couple of the only ways to test for it. It can be in soil, water and survive chlorine if you have well water… okay so I will tell my story in the comments soon. Typing this took forever. Peace out. I look forward to the comments and information sharing.