Finished Antibiotic Treatment - On to Airway Clearance

There is a fairy newly acknowledged condition called "dry bronchiectasis" where little or no mucus is ever coughed up during airway clearance. So far the recommendation is to continue with airway clearance, especially using saline, to keep whatever mucus that is in the lungs mobile. It is when it accumulates that bacteria get a chance to set up housekeeping.

What does your pulmonologist say about this?
Sue

Hi! Will try to give you my thoughts about this treatment. It was not easy but i made it for 18 months.
For me the stomach issues were the hardest to deal with because i have gerd. I tried different ways to take the pills. I always had to eat something. It turned out that rifampin gave me lupus so it was changed. I guess i was allergic to it. When i went to denver to natl jewish hospital they said rifampin can cause the lupus. I had terrible pains in my legs. After i stopped the rifampin it went away. They replaced it with clofazimine.
I started the airway clearance with the 7% saline. My pulmonologist wanted me to do it twice a day. I am going to be honest i find it very hard to do that. Once a day is hard for me. I try but i am not very good. I have ct scans now once a year and the bronchiectasis and mac are still in my lungs. Doctor says it hasn’t gotten worst. So i do get checked. Haven’t had a sputum test in awhile last year i had 2 they were negative. Probably should have one soon. Would i do the treatment again probably not. If new meds with better results were available i would think about it. I hope you do well with the treatment. It does reduce the symptoms. If you have more questions please ask me. Its nice to hear others who have the same disease and how they are doing. God Bless. Miriam

Interesting about lupus ( SLE) I was told an ANA lab test determines if a person has lupus. It is an autoimmune disease. But if NJH told you the rifampin caused the lupus, who am I to say differently!!
What mycobacterium were you being treated for, for 18 months?

Miriam, I am so happy to hear you have been through the treatment and are
Doing well. I was dx with MAC and so scared but I’m
Thinking of going head and taking the meds in hopes to rid this from my body. I hope and pray I can make it through the treatment. Any advise such as eating etc would be greatly appreciated. I am in NC.

Hi! Will try to give you my thoughts about this treatment. It was not easy but i made it for 18 months.
For me the stomach issues were the hardest to deal with because i have gerd. I tried different ways to take the pills. I always had to eat something. It turned out that rifampin gave me lupus so it was changed. I guess i was allergic to it. When i went to denver to natl jewish hospital they said rifampin can cause the lupus. I had terrible pains in my legs. After i stopped the rifampin it went away. They replaced it with clofazimine.
I started the airway clearance with the 7% saline. My pulmonologist wanted me to do it twice a day. I am going to be honest i find it very hard to do that. Once a day is hard for me. I try but i am not very good. I have ct scans now once a year and the bronchiectasis and mac are still in my lungs. Doctor says it hasn’t gotten worst. So i do get checked. Haven’t had a sputum test in awhile last year i had 2 they were negative. Probably should have one soon. Would i do the treatment again probably not. If new meds with better results were available i would think about it. I hope you do well with the treatment. It does reduce the symptoms. If you have more questions please ask me. Its nice to hear others who have the same disease and how they are doing. God Bless. Miriam