In 2000, my mom was diagnosed with MAC during pre-op testing prior to AAA repair. She was on antibiotic therapy for about 1 yr and then the doctor discontinued treatment. Within 2 months she had pneumonia and had to go back on the meds. Now much healthier they are again planning to take her off the meds in 1 yr. From what I have read, treatment should continue throughout the patients life to prevent "flareups". Do you have any information on stopping effective treatment? I'm worried that this inconsistent treatment may be harmful or fatal.

HIV- people with MAC are different from HIV+s, and usually do not need to be on medication for the rest of their lives although they may need many months of treatment before they can stop. (Now we even stop MAC treatment in HIV+s who have had immune system improvement from their HIV meds). So I don't see anything terrible about theeir wanting to stop her MAC meds again. If you remain concerned about this, then get a second opinion from an infectious diseases specialist.