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Supplements and the Big 3
I have been diagnosed with MAC for about 6 months and have not been on medications because I feel fine with no coughing. The MAC now showed up in the smear test so my pulmonologist wants to start me on the Big 3 for 7 days a week. I've resigned myself to this and my cousin is the nurse practitioner in his clinic so I have a support system. My question is what supplements can I not take. I'm currently taking Vitamin D, Calcium, NAC, and Immune System Support. I asked him about Pro-Biotic and he told me not to go on a crazy high dose. Sometimes that can make things worse. The doctors are not into vitamins I have found!
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Hi Tina, I have been on the big 3 since last Aug, 3 times a week. I take the antibiotics 2 hours apart in the am and take my probiotics in the evening. I take 2 capsules and have had no problems. The big thing is to take them several hours from the time you take your antibiotics as they will make the prebiotic less efficient. Good luck
Hi Sue, Just wondering how you took the Big 3. My Dr. wants me to take all 3 at once, Mon, Wed & Fri. I asked if I could start one at a time, a week apart to see if I had any reaction and he said No. I am worried now about having the Flu and RSV vac's , just had Prevnar 20. I'm pumping all this stuff into my body. I'm thinking I should wait to take the meds until after I've had the vaccines. I don't have any symptoms of MAC and it's nodular rather than cavitary. I value your opinion. Thank you so much.
Did your doctor explain why he wants you to start them all at once? I had a cranky old pulmonologist, and didn't know any better, so I started them all at once. It was tough!
Later, I also went to an ID doc in the same clinic, and as he read my record, he commented that their protocol was to start them one at a time "But Dr A does things his way." When the ID doc changed my meds from 3X/week to daily because I wasn't getting better, we did it one at a time, with a week lag between. That was almost 5 years ago, now he would probably add Arikayce instead.
I did get vaccines while I was on the meds, and I don't remember it being any problem - they work on different parts of the immune system. But as you are saying you have no symptoms, and MAC grows slowly, would the doc be okay with waiting a month?
Of course, keep up the airway clearance. And maybe get a start on a good probiotic and start eating extra high protein foods to build up your body while you wait.
All that said, I guess it all comes down to how much you trust the doc - is he a pulmonologist, and does he seem up to date on matters like airway clearance and 7% saline?
Sue
Thank you Sue. It was actually the nurse that I talked to and when I questioned her on it she gave me a reason but quite honestly I forgot what she said. He is a pulmonologist but has made no mention of airway clearance and saline. I can ask if I can wait a month. I may just decide to take the meds the way some of the other people on here have taken them rather than the way he wants. He won't like it, but it is my life. I do have a call into a Infectious Disease Dr. had to leave a message to get an Appt.
Thanks for sharing, still waiting on decision to start the Big 3 drugs for MAC. Feeling scared.
Happy for this group.