MAC is a serious disease caused by common bacteria. Be sure your health care provider knows about all the medications that you are taking so that all possible interactions can be considered. This is especially true for rifampin, rifabutin, and rifapentine. Several drugs used to treat MAC interact with many other drugs, including ARVs, antifungal drugs, and birth control pills. Be sure to talk with your health care provider before you stop taking any of your prescribed medications. If it goes over 100 and stays there for 3 months, it may be safe to stop taking medications to prevent MAC. These drugs are usually prescribed for people with less than 50 CD4 cells.Ĭombination antiretroviral therapy can make your CD4 cell count go up. The antibiotic drugs azithromycin, rifabutin and clarithromycin have been used to prevent MAC. 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 best way to prevent MAC is to take strong antiretroviral medications (ARVs).
It is not possible to avoid being exposed. The bacteria that cause MAC are very common. Rifampin (Rifampicin®, Rifadin®, Rimactane®): fever, chills, muscle or bone pain can turn urine, sweat, and saliva red-orange (may stain contact lenses) can interfere with birth control pills.Rifabutin (Mycobutin®): rashes, nausea, anemia.Ethambutol (Myambutol®): nausea, vomiting, vision problems.Note: The maximum dose is 500 milligrams twice a day. Clarithromycin (Biaxin®, see Fact Sheet 532 ): nausea, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea taken as capsules or intravenously.
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro® or Ciloxan®, see Fact Sheet 531 ): nausea, vomiting, diarrhea taken as tablets or intravenously.Azithromycin (Zithromax®, see Fact Sheet 530 ): nausea, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea taken as capsules or intravenously.Amikacin (Amkin®): kidney and ear problems taken as an injection.The most common MAC drugs and their side effects are: You and your health care provider may have to try different combinations before you find one that works for you with the fewest side effects. People react differently to anti-MAC drugs. MAC treatment must continue for life, or else the disease will return.
At least two drugs are used: usually azithromycin or clarithromycin plus up to three other drugs. Health care providers use a combination of antibacterial drugs (antibiotics) to treat MAC. The MAC bacteria can mutate and develop resistance to some of the drugs used to fight it. This is because MAC infection is very common but can be difficult to diagnose. If your CD4 cell count is less than 50, your health care provider might treat you for MAC, even without a definite diagnosis. Even if you are infected with MAC, it can be hard to find the MAC bacteria. This process, called culturing, can take several weeks. The sample will be tested to see what bacteria are growing in it. Therefore, your health care provider will probably check your blood, urine, or saliva to look for the bacteria that causes MAC. Many different opportunistic infections can cause these symptoms. When MAC spreads in the body, it can cause blood infections, hepatitis, pneumonia, and other serious problems. The symptoms of MAC can include high fevers, chills, diarrhea, weight loss, stomach aches, fatigue, and anemia (low numbers of red blood cells). MAC almost never causes disease in people with more than 100 CD4 cells. Up to 50% of people with AIDS may develop MAC, especially if their CD4 cell count is below 50. A healthy immune system will control MAC, but people with weakened immune systems can develop MAC disease. They are found in water, soil, dust and food. MAC infection often occurs in the lungs, intestines, bone marrow, liver and spleen. MAC infection can be localized (limited to one part of your body) or disseminated (spread through your whole body, sometimes called DMAC). MAC is also known as MAI ( Mycobacterium Avium Intracellulare). Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) is a serious illness caused by common bacteria.