Recent content by carolinen

Really sorry to hear about your situation. I am in the same place. Abscessus diagnosed 6 years ago, and Aspergillus more recently. The abscessus is by far the worst of the two for me, and my docs are concentrating on getting some kind of control. The good news is, that although the initial...

whoa!! It won't deliver oxygen, it will deprive you of oxygen, mimicking the thin air found at altitude. The rationale is that for athletes that will result in a raised haemogblobin level, and better oxygen carrying capacity when they come back down to lower altitudes. But they are fit...

I've had acupuncture for the nausea I get when I take iv antibiotics- it definitely helps

A question specifically for those in the UK. Do you have a vest? Was it supplied by the nhs? I have not been offered a vest, and been told that the most effective drainage is done using a PEP device. Thanks.

Yes.Any increase in infective burden in your body, whether pseudomonas,staph, ntm etc can all trigger aches and pains or reactive arthritis. Sometimes the first symptom for me of a chest exacerbation is joint pain, and it always gets better as my chest gets better

So sorry you are in this position.. It might be useful to know which bugs you have? I have m abscessus and aspergillus and while it's theoretically resistant to everything, combining three ivs at a time still gives me some symptom control.There are a FEW new things in the pipeline if you...

I sympathise. I used to watch my diet carefully to avoid weight gain, but now I'm underweight and have vitamin deficiencies and osteoporosis. And when you've lost your appetite or are feeling sick from iv antibiotics, there's nothing worse than being pressed to eat. A friend bought be a...

Ljberk, thanks so much, that's mega reassuring. Have no done any long haul travel since diagnosis but......go for it!!

Thanks, that's really helpful and reassuring

Hi, I'm in the UK and haven't travelled long haul since my diagnosis of mycobacterium abscessus. But I'm fairly stable between treatments and have travelled within Europe. My fear is getting an acute chest infection and not being near a facility with the knowledge to treat it aggressively and...

you can get a reactive arthritis when there is a high burden of infection in the body-so maybe it's related to his sinus infections? Might be worth asking what your doctor thinks of this idea. In a reactive arthritis the bloodwork can come back quite normal. I have had reactive arthritis...

Ntm So sorry you have had this diagnosis - but at least you now know why you feel so bad, and can start making a plan with your doctors to treat it. The two commonest types of NTM are MAC and abscessus. You will be pleased to know that of the two, MAC is the better one to have. It's going...

I'm puzzled too by the change from ppi to zantac Generally ppis are much more effective, but slower to work. zantac can give quick relief when you have symptoms. I add zantac to ppi when my symptoms are bad. Reflux has been linked to infections like atypical mycobacteria, so it's...

dear Michelle. i can well understand your worry about waiting so long for a plan. But this bug, though horrible, is a 'slow burner' and as treatment is complex and not without side effects it pays to wait for maximum information and a clear and logical plan. in particular the...

So sorry for your bad news. I was diagnosed with abscessus just over 3 years ago. I'm in hospital right now, to start another round of ivs. You mention oral therapy, but the more usual plan is to try for eradication with a regime involving at least some ivs. I won't pretend- the iv...