Franny,

Hello! Are you being followed by a great Pulmonogist?
The goal is to get to the treatment/ root cause of your ongoing cough.

What exactly is your diagnosis? When were you diagnosed?

I don’t know whether or not a voice center will understand NTM/ Bronchiectasis???

Thank you for answering my question. My pulmonologist is sending me to the voice center. He has diagnosed me with mild bronchiectasis. I also have mild asthma. I asked him to order sputum test which he agreed to do. Thank you for that advice. I'm repeating the CT and doing a home sleep study.

Hello! You are most welcome! The sputum culture will be most helpful with an accurate diagnosis. Make sure it is marked for AFB, r/ o mycobacterium. Please keep us posted. I would wait until you get results before going to the voice center, if it was me

Ksmiles,

That's good advice. Thank you. Also Dr is putting me on a two week cycle of doxycycline to see if that helps with the cough. He said he has a patient who is similar to me and he has him on a maintenance dose and it's helping. You asked if I have a great pulmonologist. I think I do. He's at the lung center in pittsburgh. I have heard very good things about him.

He sent the order to quest for the sputum test and they never answer a phone call. I could call the office to see what he ordered.

Franny

Yes, please do call the office to make sure they are doing the right test. You need more than a routine culture. Unfortunately, not all Pulmonogist understand NTM/ Bronchiectasis at this point in time

Thank you. I will update once I find out.

I checked with my doctor's office and they are testing for AFB, r/o mycobacterium. Thank you for the heads up.

Fabulous! It is always best being safe than sorry. I recall the lab not doing the complete test in my early days of diagnosis..... we can’t nor want to waste time nor money

Exactly!