Bacterial infection in lung needs antibiotics

Dr. Keith Roach

Question: I am an 80-year-old woman in good health. After numerous CT scans, a PET scan and a bronchoscopy, it was determined that I have MAI. I am aware that the standard treatment is 18 months of antibiotics. Can you tell me what side effffffffffffects I can expect if I go ahead with this treatment? I am not comfortable taking all these antibiotics, as I am a person who shuns medication in general at my age. — J.R.

Answer: Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare are bacteria that are related to tuberculosis. They are so similar that they usually are not differentiated, and go by the collective abbreviation MAI (for Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare) or MAC (for Mycobacterium avium complex).

For those with no lung disease (usually older women), its most common symptom is chronic cough that has characteristic fifindings on X-ray. This last sounds like your situation. Most people get fever, and some have night sweats or weight loss.

Not everybody needs treatment.

The choice of antibiotics depends on the sensitivity of the organism, but one common regimen is clarithromycin, rifampin and ethambutol.