kathyhg
@kathyhg
@kathyhg
Posts: 47
Joined: Mar 17, 2019
Best Shower heads for MAC
I’ve been reading about shower heads and it seems that many are bad for growing bacteria. One mentioned on another forum was called The Original Chrome Shower Head by Shower Clear. It is very expensive and wondering if anyone has experience with this or others that might be good.
Thanks,
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Jennifer
@megan123
@megan123
Posts: 159
Joined: Oct 05, 2016
@kathyhg Can anyone recommend any water filters? Are there only tap type filters or are there any of the 0.2 micron ones for filters like PUR or Brita?
I get that the plastic piping that has replaced the old copper pipes is a source of Mac but at least it’s not building up in my shower head. I thought I was minimizing my risk by only using the shower when I washed my hair but when my husband took the old shower head down, it was full of water after 3 days. At least I know this one is dry and clean between uses!
Thanks in advance for any information people can share on filters.
Hi Kathy….I get my water filters from Palls in Canada…I think they are in the states as well…I use in my kitchen tap…I take baths instead of showers, leaving a window open and a new ceiling fan on….
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Jennifer
@megan123
@megan123
Posts: 159
Joined: Oct 05, 2016
@windwalker @sueinmn I just posted an article of study that Jennifer is referring to this past week. Did you see it? It is not the first study I have read about the connection between bathrooms being the possible source of mac infection. Studies showed that the dna of the mac found in showerheads did match the dna taken from a sputem sample of the patient. We cannot totally avoid mac exposure, but we can reduce the viral load and do things to minimize the exposure. I am like you; live with common sense and do the things you are doing to stay well. I am not going to make myself crazy trying to avoid it altogether.
Hi Terry✌️✌️ Maybe that was the recent article I just read as well…read so much info, didn't realize it was you until you posted. Lol
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sueinmn
@sueinmn
@sueinmn
Posts: 96
Joined: Aug 12, 2018
@windwalker @sueinmn I just posted an article of study that Jennifer is referring to this past week. Did you see it? It is not the first study I have read about the connection between bathrooms being the possible source of mac infection. Studies showed that the dna of the mac found in showerheads did match the dna taken from a sputem sample of the patient. We cannot totally avoid mac exposure, but we can reduce the viral load and do things to minimize the exposure. I am like you; live with common sense and do the things you are doing to stay well. I am not going to make myself crazy trying to avoid it altogether.
Hi Terri – Yes, I read the study you cited, as well as several others. Still not convinced we can avoid MAC through any water supply because it is so ubiquitous – one small, older study even found it in bottled water! We have raised our water heater temp, because that is the one universal recommendation that makes sense to me.
And, it doesn't make sense that our home is the nexus of my infection – my husband, who soaks in our whirlpool & showers "by the hour" also has bronchiectasis, and he repeatedly tests negative for MAC.
kathyhg
@kathyhg
@kathyhg
Posts: 47
Joined: Mar 17, 2019
We live in a condo so unfortunately cannot change the water temperature.
I’m still learning so have another question that you think is basic… can you get it from drinking water? Is bottled water good enough if does it have to be filtered? What about the plain old tap water? With or without a filtration system?
Thanks,
Terri Martin., Volunteer Mentor
@windwalker
@windwalker
Posts: 3510
Joined: Nov 18, 2016
@sueinmn Hi Terri – Yes, I read the study you cited, as well as several others. Still not convinced we can avoid MAC through any water supply because it is so ubiquitous – one small, older study even found it in bottled water! We have raised our water heater temp, because that is the one universal recommendation that makes sense to me.
And, it doesn't make sense that our home is the nexus of my infection – my husband, who soaks in our whirlpool & showers "by the hour" also has bronchiectasis, and he repeatedly tests negative for MAC.
@sueinmn I think it is safe to say that not every household in America is going to have mac in it's plumbing. Some people may have picked it up visiting relatives, staying in a resort, or using a hot tub, or other places. I feel like my present home does not have mac in the water. I have been mac free since I moved here. I could be wrong, but I take pre-cautions as if it is here. The water temp was raised on the hot water tank, we put reverse osmosis filters under the sink and change filters regularly. I soak my showerhead in vinegar every six months. I just do not want to live in paranoid fear.
Jane S. Brown
@macjane
@macjane
Posts: 194
Joined: May 12, 2017
@pfists @windwalker888
That article on MAC colonizing predominately in bathrooms and mostly showerheads is very interesting. I will soak mine in vinigar much more often
I use a "hand" shower head and use it on a rainfall setting rather than a Spray setting hoping this spray method helps.
Thanks Teri
Shari
Thank you for info – very interesting. Jane
tinaesims
@tinaesims
@tinaesims
Posts: 39
Joined: Sep 12, 2018
@megan123 Hi Suenim…..It is recommended by National Jewish Hosputal to use the Micron 0.2 filter attached to your shower head…this prevents MAC from getting thru…Dr Falkingham, guru in MAC recommends…I just also ready a recent study done, saying that patients r likely getting reinfected in the bathroom…ie high level of MAC found in showerhead, bathroom tap, sinks bathtub water etc….I agree with slit of what you are saying as well….I tend to follow National and Mayo recommendations to extend my life as long as I can without getting crazy about things
Where can you buy a Micron 0.2 filter?
Jennifer
@megan123
@megan123
Posts: 159
Joined: Oct 05, 2016
@tinaesims….I get my tap filters from Palls filtration system in Canada….Palls is also in the states✌️
sayaboleh
@sayaboleh
@sayaboleh
Posts: 46
Joined: Apr 09, 2019
This is a really interesting discussion. When I was first diagnosed in 2011 I was told that showering was not a problem but to avoid swimming and hot tubs. I agree that MAC is everywhere in the environment and not to get too concerned. Maybe shorter showers and avoid misters in Florida! I am very confused about the concept of colonization and hope someone can enlighten me. They recently found a very rare organism called S. maltophilia in my culture and tried to reassure me that it was a colonization and not an infection. So when is colonization a good thing and when is it a bad thing? I just watched Dr. Huitt's presentation and one of the ways to determine if one should treat was to count the number of colonies, the magic number being 50.
Mary
Terri Martin., Volunteer Mentor
@windwalker
@windwalker
Posts: 3510
Joined: Nov 18, 2016
@sayaboleh This is a really interesting discussion. When I was first diagnosed in 2011 I was told that showering was not a problem but to avoid swimming and hot tubs. I agree that MAC is everywhere in the environment and not to get too concerned. Maybe shorter showers and avoid misters in Florida! I am very confused about the concept of colonization and hope someone can enlighten me. They recently found a very rare organism called S. maltophilia in my culture and tried to reassure me that it was a colonization and not an infection. So when is colonization a good thing and when is it a bad thing? I just watched Dr. Huitt's presentation and one of the ways to determine if one should treat was to count the number of colonies, the magic number being 50.
Mary
@sayabola Good questions! I do not have the answer for that. One of our memebers, @deborahwolf, will be attending an NTM/MAC conference in Tx next month. Hopefully, she will come back from it with some good info.
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sayaboleh
@sayaboleh
@sayaboleh
Posts: 46
Joined: Apr 09, 2019
@windwalker So will I. Will definitely ask some questions there. My real name is Mary. I thought it would be cute to use an obscure foreign language user name. I am rethinking that. 🙂
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Terri Martin., Volunteer Mentor
@windwalker
@windwalker
Posts: 3510
Joined: Nov 18, 2016
@sayaboleh @windwalker So will I. Will definitely ask some questions there. My real name is Mary. I thought it would be cute to use an obscure foreign language user name. I am rethinking that. 🙂
@sayabola Nice too meet you Mary.
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@kathyhg I actually splurged and bought the Shower Clear shower head that opens up to dry between showers. It also has no rubber/plastic in the shower head except for an external rubber O ring. My thinking was that it is worth the money if it reduces my exposure to Mac, even slightly. It is solid brass, so fairly heavy, and looks very simple but well made. It was easy enough to install. No regrets about the price, considering what I spend on medications every month!
Is there a certain finish that is best if I buy the Shower Clear head? I see a gold one but not a solid brass?? Thank you.
sueinmn
@sueinmn
@sueinmn
Posts: 96
Joined: Aug 12, 2018
@pinkwarrior Is there a certain finish that is best if I buy the Shower Clear head? I see a gold one but not a solid brass?? Thank you.
Without further research, I'm just remembering the site – The underlying metal in the heads is brass, the color is electroplated onto the o utside, so you can choose what matches your decor.
@windwalker
In reply to @sueinmn
@sueinmn Here is one article about the mac connection to the bathroom. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article-abstract/45/3/347/359377
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