What Does Mac Look Like

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Get the Facts

Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC)

Can MAC Be Prevented? The bacteria that cause MAC are very common. It is not possible to avoid being exposed. The best way to prevent MAC is to take strong antiretroviral medications (ARVs). Even if your CD4 cell count drops very low, there are drugs that can stop MAC disease from developing in up to 50% of people. The antibiotic drugs azithromycin, rifabutin and clarithromycin have been used to prevent MAC. These drugs are usually prescribed...

Ask the Experts

Mac??

Could you tell me what Mac is. And when could a person with hiv get this? and what signs to look for?...

Response from Judith Feinberg, M.D.

University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine

"MAC" stands for Mycobacterium avium complex, which can spread in your blood and cause a range of symptoms in very advanced HIV disease (AIDS). Usually CD4 cells are less than 25 when this occurs. Symptoms can include fever, weight loss,... Read more »

MAC

My partner has MAC and no one doctor in Arizona find a medicine to stop blowing his stomach and the extreme pain. He's T-cell counts are above 150, but he's still feel pain and he's stomach look like a pregnancy. We are trying to...

Response from Judith Feinberg, M.D.

University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine

There are certaily doctors who are experts in HIV in Phoenix and Tucson-- I don't know about smaller towns. Contact the infectious disease doctors at the university medical schools in either of these cities. Good luck!... Read more »

NON HIV MAC

My Mom has MAc from our local water source. How can I find info that is not HIV related?She is 70 and very sick from this disease, Pls help me obtain more info. Thanks...

Response from Judith Feinberg, M.D.

University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine

I don't know of any resources written for the lay public about nin-HIV-associated MAC, but you can certainly start by looking this up in a standard textbook of infectious diseases, like The Principles & Practice of Infectious Diseases... Read more »

MAC

What are the latest treatments for MAC? We have a patient who has MAC and wasting. We just want to make sure that there are no new treatments we are unaware of....

Response from Cal Cohen, M.D., M.S.

Harvard Medical School

There have not been major changes since about 1998. As you know, clarithromycin based regimens are optimal but using more than 500 mg bid is associated with increased mortality. Rifabutin and ethambutol remain the most effective additional drugs;... Read more »

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MAC IV Therapy

Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply

I'm thinking of stopping IV therapy for MAC....can anyone tell me if they've done that...and if so.....did you feel better or worse without the meds? My CD4+ cell count is still below 50.....the meds make me feel so awful I have to wonder if the MAC... Read more »

MAC. & low cd-4

Posted by danni, 3 Replies

i am terrified, i just learned that i have mac. my viral load is 87,000, my cd-4; only 14. my doc. did start meds for me, but i can't get past the fear that it's too late. with my blood counts, is mac, a sure death sentence? i appreciate any... Read more »

Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC)

Posted by Anonymous

Good day! I just found out that I have some bacteria in my blood. I'm low with t4cell at 1 so my doctor says that I have MAC. I wanted to know if anyone has experience this and has anyone gotten better. This could explain my many symptoms... Read more »

MAC Therapy and Thank you's

Posted by EMDD

Thank you all for your kind words and encouragment....I made the leap and stopped MAC therapy....3 days and counting....I feel so much more like my old self....I was beginning to think I never would again.....life is good....my best advice is to do... Read more »

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