Stomach issues after taking antibiotics for 15 months:(

I agree with you, I've been on the big three for 18 months and arikayce for 11 months!!! The last CT scans infection all over lungs. I was on 12months of the big three and arikayce in 2019 and tested negative until now nothing is working. My lungs feel like they are on fire and I have night sweats.

@dorothyjeansimpson
Thank you for your reply. That sounds very painful.

@yaduhyaduhsquawk yes I had this turned out it was it was the antibiotics that had caused drug induced lupus and was directly attaching my muscles and connective tissues including my gastrointestinal tract
Get an autoimmune screen done to be safe.
Do you have stool changes and have you cleared the MAC.?

@damcipro
Thank you! Interesting, I have a connective tissue disorder (Ehlers -Danlos). I have 3 months remaining of the 18 month course. Will mention to my doc. I see her this week.

@yaduhyaduhsquawk wow yes these drugs not good for EDS especially the Fluroquinolone class antibiotic. I think I have some mild form of Eds that’s why the Ciprofloxacin literally took me apart.
I would also research yourself use Ai about the antibiotics your on .
I also got a DNA methylation test to see how my genes manage oxidative stress which these meds cause lots of. Turns out my body is severely impaired at neutralising oxidative stress hence the systemic damage. Wish I’d have know all this before.
Doctors are to happy about collateral damage you’ve got to be your own doctor these days.
Good luck and listen to your body.

@damcipro
Hi, did you have to discontinue the antibiotics? As I replied earlier, I am three months from my 18 month treatment with the big three. I am hopeful I can complete the course, but I am miserable with terrible nausea and loading every time I eat something.

@damcipro
Again, thank you for your reply and also your time. Very helpful information. Were to able to complete your 18 months or did you have to switch treatments?

@yaduhyaduhsquawk When did you test negative? Due to the same side effects you report, as well as continuing wight loss and profound fatigue, my ID doc, in consultation with the pulmonologist, stopped antibiotics at that point, provided I do twice a day 7% saline with airway clearance. That was in December 2019, and I have tested negative for the last 6 years. Now I nebulize saline about once a week, do daily airway clearance, and have remained negative for NTM and bronchiectasis is stable.
Do you use 7% saline?

I have been on meds since November 2025. Only on two because i couldn’t take the Arikace. Bloating for me was gerd. It has calmed down for now. It caused many issues. Are you on anything like Pepcid? When I bloat I take Gas X and it helps. I stopped Pepcid because it rebound and was causing more problems. So now it’s just tums

After 23 months of MAC treatment I developed terrible gastrointestinal problems- bloated, abdominal pain - I contacted Michelle mc Donald, a dietician who worked at NJH and now has her own business. Her onsite and expertise helped me with the problem. Although it took me more than four months to be able to eat normally and stop taking antispasmodic meds. It’s all antibiotics that ruin your gastric system