Posted , 7 users are following.
My sputum culture appears to be growing MAC, a mycobacteria and I AM VERY WORRIED. I know that is a bad diagnosis and difficult to treat. HAVE any of you bx friends ever had this?
0 likes, 7 replies
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gunelle robyn76590
Posted
i might be growing that one too. Final results in about 3 weeks. Anxious to hear experiences and I share your worry...
kara0736 robyn76590
Posted
i have had Non tuberculosis mycobacteria for about 2 yrs now but has seemed to stay away for months, it is very hard to get rid of but its something they dont tend to treat, dont worry about it, its just hard to get rid of
robyn76590
Edited
Im happy to hear from someone else with non tuberculosis mycobacterium. I havent treated mine either because it seems to appear and then disappear in cultures. the treatment is so harsh that I dont want to think if it if its not necessary.
mickeysnapper robyn76590
Posted
This is much more common in bronchiectasis than is often suspected. We have started a new site on MAC for patients and doctors which gives a lot of info:
www.ntmpatientcare.uk
mattjenkins81 robyn76590
Posted
I'd be interested to find out how your symptoms presented. I'm currently assessing whether I should contact my GP, originally I spoke to a NP as I was coughing phlegm up which had an unusual colour, dark green/mixed grey, black which caused alarm bells as a non-smoker and fairly healthly individual. She said to contact again if the symptoms persisted which I suppose they have to a lesser extent, I may cough up a small amount of phlegm once every 2nd or 3rd day but currently still has a strange colour several weeks on.
tabatha84296 robyn76590
Posted
Robyn, you don't say what you have done about it so far but not to worry until you do more research. I have bronchiectasis and other lung conditions and I had the same thing happen when I was dxd with mycobacterium gordonae and what I read put my mind at ease then went to infectious disease doctor who suggested I do nothing since that particular one could be a false alarm. I later had a dx of MAC and was still not too alarmed but I thought I'd try Vitamin C IVs for 10 weeks and I was lucky. It seemed to have gone away as that next sputum test was negative, but in my mind I wondered if the dx was just wrong to begin with. So by now you've probably talked to a doctor and had more tests and done more reading - there is plenty online about the subject. But I do have to say I was very worried about having to take 3 or 4 antibiotics for months/years and I even joined a support group and got to sit with 10 people who were on those antibiotics. I hope you have arrived at a good solution.
kara0736 robyn76590
Posted
yes i have had it for over a year, it has now been gone for months, they dont tend to treat it because the treatment is so harsh, it should go away at some point dont worry about it too much