harka

Hi there,

Nocardia is a bacteria which acts a lot like a fungus, and is also often confused with tuberculosis because of its characteristics under the microscope.

It is generally an organism which lives in soil and water, and usually only affects people who are immunosuppressed in some way. So first off, is your immune system impaired in any way?

Severe diabetes
on prednisone
had an organ transplant?
have a bone marrow disease?
have cancer and on chemotherapy?

Nocardia loves to attack the lungs as well as the brain and cause abscesses. Don't be alarmed though, having lung disease does not indicate that you have something in your brain as well. Because Nocardia is relatively rare, it is best treated by an infectious diseases specialist, most of whom you'll find in a bigger medical center, often an academic one. The drug of choice for Nocardia is generally things which can kill intracellular pathogens such as Septra (Bactrim in the US) and also other more toxic drugs like linezolid and amikacin. The problem with Nocardia is that you have to treat it for a long period of time often lasting up to 3-6 months. That's why you need an infectious diseases specialist to follow you.