Like Jane said, sometimes my doctor put me on their best guess, from an old sensitivities, often they would try to wait just so they could prevent resistance issues... but if my symptoms were becoming worse, ie: fevers getting longer, more frequent etc, they had to do something. Most the time, only one or so of the abx would change in the middle. I imagine they dont want to guess initially b/c they have no idea since its the first time around.
I am so sorry he has had to have the picc in w/ nothing going on all this time.... I only had 2, 2 week periods where I wasnt doing abx, but needed to keep the picc in, I hated it. It was summer and I wanted to swim but alas never was able to. I went crazy. I got my port the following fall and I do love the fact that if they do a "test" run and we stop for a week or whatever, I am normal again.
And yes, longer times doesnt mean resistance here <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
i dont know if I have mentioned it before, but I was told by *one* doctor (he was kinda a random one who was 'learning' on me while in house once) who said that M.A is known for really affecting appetite, which makess sense in my experience b/c that has probably been the ONE thing that I have struggled with the most since first culturing NTM. So watch his appetite, and if it starts going down, do something <b>immediately </b>whether it is appetite stimulants or what not... I always, always feel my best when eating (duh! right lol). But once my appetite goes down, its down until I get an appetite stimulant or g-tube feedings take a couple weeks to start getting my appetite up even.
sorry to be off topic a bit. but my favorite advice for people 'new' to NTM is appetite and maintaining the weight, I didnt understand that correlation near well enough and let my weight get waaaay to low which I know made me feel crapppier in general.
Oh and did you get the predisone issues worked out?