Hi, Russ,
I went to ID MD when I was first dxd with a non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) called Gordonae. She told me that the drugs could make me very sick and she didn't recommend taking the 3 antibiotics that w/b necessary. Of course I'm there in front of her and not looking sick and not being sick so I have to guess that's why she discouraged me.
Then I went to a Pulmonary doctor at one of the big teaching hospitals who was an expert (over 40 miles away : ) who had worked for National Jewish Health and he specialized in NTM infections. He also did not recommend anything and he checked my sputum on each visit and had me send him sputum to check and each time it was clear. The strain of NTM I had could have been introduced by the lab and therefore not actually anything to worry about so we just kept doing the sputum tests and I never took an antibiotic.
Then some months or a year possibly later a sputum test came back with Mycobacteria avium complex which is something to be concerned about and be treated for, but again I wasn't sick and as I said on a previous discussion, I went to a natural doctor and they put me on massive doses of Vitamin C for 10 weeks, one appt. per wk. They tested my sputum at the end of that and it was clear. I would have done anything to avoid antibiotics. I'm glad I did that. Medicare covered it at the time which it does not now but if I got a bad infection now I would go the Vitamin C route and after the IVs are over they put you on a regimen of oral Vit. C and you can drink the powder form so it makes it easier than having to swallow pills or capsules. It's been years and I haven't had an infection or a fever or an episode of being sick other than pneumonia which I probably got from a germ picked up somewhere. AND I have to say by this time I had tired of the Vit C routine every day and had stopped taking it and that left me open to the new infection.
It was Xmas 2014 when I had that pneumonia that kept me sick for 3 wks at home, not in hospital, and I coughed every day and every day since and I can't get my breath as easily and I wheeze more (I presume that is called an exacerbation of my COPD) - I have clear sputum most of the time, sometimes pale green and occasionally a large clump of the gray green but it's not like all day and it could be something that is left in a bronchiectasis pocket that was hard to get out, I don't know. I do know, however, that when my previous Pulm. Dr. was still around he'd put me on Cipro quite a few times (years ago) and each time what I thought was infection with lots of green mucous, always came back BUT since having the Vit. C IVs I have not had an infection at all that I know of. No fever, no feeling sick and no serious bouts of green mucous.
As far as routine supplements I take lots of things. I don't know if we can mention them here or not or maybe it's just the brand we can't mention but I take a good multivitamin,
NAC; Co-Q-10, N-Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Alpha Lipoic Acid; Vitamin D3; 1000 mg Calcium with other minerals, and have also added lately Bromelain which helps with inflammation and Tumeric and 5000 mg a day of powdered Vit. C and also powdered MSM which you can read about - I think it helps the Vit. C or works better with it or something. But I take it everyday in water. 2 big glasses a day so it doesn't taste strong. And so far I am guaranteed not to get a cold or get sick. Maybe it's because I try to eat lots of fruit and veggies also and no processed food if we can help it and drink lots of water and green tea and honey I've read is goods so I'm trying that also. And now after reading everything on this site I'll be adding some things like nebulizing with saline and other suggestions that work for other people. (A natural doctor will tell u to stay away from antibiotics because they are not natural and not good for the body - I had a friend who had e-coli who kept getting infection after infection after weeks on antiobiotics and in hospital with IVs too and she just never could get rid of it; it always came back so I told myself there had to be a better healthier way).
My Pulm Dr. expert said what your doctor told u about not having treatment unless it made u sick. So if it were me and I had fever and not feeling well as u describe and gobs of mucous and green especially, I'd try the Vitamin C IV first. It can only do u good - it won't hurt you - and could get rid of the bad bacteria and it would be better than going on antibiotics and stay in hospital. Also for bad infections like it sounds like you are talking about, have you heard of National Jewish Health - I hope I can refer to that here - they are lung specialists in Denver, CO and they have a help line that you can call and talk to a nurse. That is something I would do myself - in fact I joined a support group for NTMs and that's where I first heard of NJH. They are online and you can read all about them and people can go out there to be evaluated and treated. I think I'd do that before going for the stem cells as that is not covered by insurance and the other is.
I read about the stem cell research and a company doing that in Tampa and I even called about it but the girl didn't call me back. I think when I expressed shock at the price she thought it might be a waste of time; but Vit. C treatments were far less expensive and worth a try first. $150 per week or per treatment and I had 10 of them and it would depend on where u had them. It would be worth making an appt. with a homeopathic or natural doctor to find out what they suggest. And if YOU are still reading here, I'll just say that I hope something in here helps you.