Recurrent Staph infection lungs - MAC & Moderate Bronchiectasis

@mtyler Hello - Staph can be a nasty surprise, and just being in the hospital environment can certainly increase our risk, simply because it is "in the air."

You said, "I am supposed to use my airway clearance vest and 3 different nebs ( acetylcysteine) and ipratropium bromide albuterol sulfate and 7% saline. ( Because I have a demanding full job, I do not have time to do any of these treatments) "

I have a few suggestions about how you might be able to adapt this so it is doable while working -
1) Acetylcysteine is available as a capsule to be swallowed (N-acetyl cysteine 500mg.) The jury may be out on whether it is as effective as the inhaled version, but using it twice a day would certainly be more effective than not using anything.
2) An alternative to the irpatropium bromide/albuterol sulfate neb is a Symbicort inhaler (also available as a generic) 2 puffs 2-3 times a day. It has actually been better for me than the neb for the past 6 months, and I have not had a single exacerbation.
3) That leaves you with just the 7% saline neb, plus some airway clearance. I have not used a vest due to concerns with arthritis in my spine, so I have always used an Aerobika PEP device instead. With an impeller-type nebulizer that dispenses the saline in about 5 minutes, plus about 5-10 minutes of the Aerobika & coughing it takes 15 -20 minutes. I only do this once a day unless I am in difficulty. The advantage of the impeller neb is that it is quiet, so you can use it while watching TV without disturbing others, then leave the room to do your coughing.
With this schedule, about 3 minutes a day, you will be doing something to help suppress the bacteria in your lungs. Remember that every time you get a secondary infection, you further weaken your defenses and your lungs, making it even more likely that the MAC will worsen and cause more damage.

Also, are you wearing a mask at work? Here is a philosophy I adopted from my daughter, an RN with serious lung issues - if indoors in a risky environment for more than a few minutes, N-95 mask. Infection probability increases with the length of exposure and the number of bacteria in the environment - 8 hours or more per day around a lot of people would certainly meet that criteria.

Does this sound a regimen you might find manageable? You need to be honest with your doc that you cannot manage the extended routine while working, and ask to try this as a doable alternative.

Sue

Hello Mtyler. I was horrified to read that you feel that you have to put your job before your very own health. Will one more year make that much of a difference in when you decide to retire? Sue provided some very good alternatives for saving you time with your treatments, and I hope that you will consider them. I am a big advocate for doing the saline treatments no matter what. Get up 20 minutes earlier if that is what it takes to get the morning one done. Do the evening one as soon as you get home from work because you will only grow more tired as the evening wears on. That saline nebbing is crucial to lung clearance and killing the nasty bugs that get into our lungs and cause destruction of lung tissue. I can tell you from personal experience that I got lax on doing the saline treatments for about a month. I then caught nocardia and trichosporons. google those and you will learn how deadly those two bugs can be, I learned my lesson, I will never be lax with the 7% saline again. I hope that you find the time to take care of yourself because retiring with damaged lungs is no fun.

Get a small plug in air purifier for your cube, strip off clothes, shower immediately upon arrival home. Extreme care that you don't touch your face at work, frequent hand washing along with hand sanitizer. Keep people at a distance, in door way vs next to your desk. Wipe now keyboards, desk, arm rests, your door knob, use tissue to open bathroom doors. Don't be hesitant to ask other to keep your bubble of 3 ft. Hang in there. B

I have COPD severe. I was getting infections in my lungs constantly for years! My Pulmany Doc has not seen anything like this! I quit working with Chemicals in my Hair Salon. Then my daughter suggested MANUKA HONEY from Australia. I get the one that has the highest natural antibiotic in them! These are from specialized bees. It says it clears Staph Infections also! Guess what!!!! It's almost been a year and I am doing 99% better!!! My Doctor is amazed! My children thought death was my next journey! Now, I am still on Oxygen but I feel a lot better! I can get up in the mornings now!!! Thank you God! Expensive but worth it! $40.00 -60.00 a month!