Re: Xolair

[Guest guest]

Hi Donna,

Sorry, I don't know anything about Xolair. Hope it helps you. I

would like to ask, if I may, what part of Arizona you live in. The

asthma I have sounds more serious than yours and we are contemplating

moving to the an area about 1/2 hour out of Phoenix. Phoenix has a

lot of smog; and since the wind pattern is west to east, we're

thinking around Surprise, so as to avoid getting the residue.

We currently live in central California where it is hot and humid in

the summer and damp and cold in the winter. Besides being the #1 or

#2 place in the state with the worst pollution, we are southeast of

San Francisco---getting their crap while they enjoy " A " quality air.

I can't take the cold anymore, especially a damp cold. However, I

was really concerned about the super hot-ness of Arizona and maybe

too dry. Don't know.

Merlynn

> I am a 70 year old woman who has had asthma since I was 16. We

moved

> to Arizona from Cleveland, Ohio (native Detroiter) in 1960 and my

> asthma was okay for a few years. My condition is controlled

> currently with several medications: Advair 500/50, Flovent 220,

> Singulair 10mg, Prednisone when needed (usually start at 40 and go

> down every three days until off), and of course Ventolin. I

normally

> have problems when I have infections. As far as allergic asthma,

my

> doctor says I am in the 30 percentile.

>

> Because I am never completely symptom free and my latest breathing

> test registered 67% capacity, my doctor feels I should try Xolair.

> She claims she is having success with people similar to me.

>

> My concern is the newness of the drug, so there is no history of

side

> effects and also the cost, though I certainly would make sacrifices

> to pay for the drug (I am still working which helps), if it will

make

> a difference.

>

> I would like to hear from other people in similar circumstances

that

> have an opinion about Xolair.

>

> Thanks,

> Donna

[Guest guest]

Hi Merlyn,

We live in Phoenix, Arizona, which is the largest city in Arizona

(over 1,000,000). The city is no longer recommended for asthmatics.

As you probably know, we are in a valley and because of that and the

increase in population, concrete and cars, we are very polluted. We

sometimes get bulletins warning those people with breathing problems,

of the bad air and advising us to stay indoors until things clear

up. Because the dryness helps me, I am doing okay but am never 100%

clear, due to the pollution.

Surprise is a lovely small town, however, it too is growing. I am

sure it would be healthier to live there, rather than in the Phoenix

metropolitan area. Also, homes are more affordable, though prices

are starting to rise. Surprise, like most of the cities in the

Phoenix metropolitan area, does get hot but you learn how to adjust

to the heat. Everything is air-conditioned, most shopping malls are

enclosed and as I previously said, you adjust to the heat, mostly by

getting up earlier and doing your outside business early in the day,

if possible.

On the positive side, I do love Phoenix and the surrounding area.

There are several small towns that are quite scenic and probably

healthier than Phoenix. There are tons of things to do in the

Phoenix area. We have baseball, hockey, basketball, and a ton of

golf courses. There is theatre, the symphony and ballet. Tons of

good restaurants and extremely friendly people. The only thing I

have missed since moving to Arizona, is being away from the water.

We do have some lakes but they are not nearby and it isn't the same

as having the Pacific Ocean and/or the Bay in close proximity. I

hope I have helped you. If you have any other questions, let me know

and I will try to answer them. Good luck,

Donna

[Guest guest]

Donna (and all),

I have been using Xolair for about six months with terrific results.

I am 41 years old and live in the mountains of NC, and have had

severe asthma for over 26 years.

Since moving here 10 years ago, I was usually in the ER spring and

fall for severe asthma attacks. I think I have been on every asthma

medication known to man with only marginal results. I, too, lived

in Detroit for a while and didn't have the severity of problems that

I have since moving here, but still had bad asthma that prevented me

from doing many things, especially vigorous physical activity.

As I said, my Dr. put me on Xolair in August 2003, and since then my

condition has improved to the point that I am on the verge of

considering myself symptom-free.

I still use Advair 500 and take prednisone 10 mg every other day.

However, before I started Xolair I used Advair, Flovent, prednisone

(alternating 10 mg and 20 mg) and albuterol. I'd go through 2

canisters of albuterol a month. My peak flows have improved, but

most importantly, they have stabilized - I no longer have 'good'

days and 'bad' days - mostly all good unless I get sick. My Dr.

says I will probably never regain much of my lost lung function

because I have had asthma for too long.

Xolair has had no negative side effects whatsoever. The worst

problem I have had with Xolair is that it is very thick and hard to

inject (about the consistency of corn syrup) and would leave large

bruises on my arms after getting the shots. This was a small price

to pay.

I'd like to say that Xolair has given me my life back, but I can't

because I am actually experiencing a life that I never really knew.

I am now able to go outside and play with my son, work in the yard,

exercise, SLEEP, and do many other things that other people take for

granted.

I'm now looking forward to quitting prednisone altogether, and am

going to talk with my Dr. about cutting back to Advair 250 the next

time I go in to see him. I am actually now giving the shots to

myself, and my first 'solo' effort is going to be this Sunday.

I monitor my lung function almost every day with a flowmeter and

keep a daily diary too. I can honestly and conclusively say that

Xolair has significantly improved my life.

One other thing you should be aware of - I saw an immediate

improvement after my first shot of Xolair, and have seen steady

improvement since then. Some people don't get any relief for the

first 3 - 6 months, and some don't get any relief at all. It's hard

to say 'be patient' when you are shelling out all that money.

If you want to find out more from a lot of people who have been

using Xolair for a long time, check out the Xolair user's group on

Yahoo.

Good luck and clear breathing.

Greg

> I am a 70 year old woman who has had asthma since I was 16. We

moved

> to Arizona from Cleveland, Ohio (native Detroiter) in 1960 and my

> asthma was okay for a few years. My condition is controlled

> currently with several medications: Advair 500/50, Flovent 220,

> Singulair 10mg, Prednisone when needed (usually start at 40 and go

> down every three days until off), and of course Ventolin. I

normally

> have problems when I have infections. As far as allergic asthma,

my

> doctor says I am in the 30 percentile.

>

> Because I am never completely symptom free and my latest breathing

> test registered 67% capacity, my doctor feels I should try

Xolair.

> She claims she is having success with people similar to me.

>

> My concern is the newness of the drug, so there is no history of

side

> effects and also the cost, though I certainly would make

sacrifices

> to pay for the drug (I am still working which helps), if it will

make

> a difference.

>

> I would like to hear from other people in similar circumstances

that

> have an opinion about Xolair.

>

> Thanks,

> Donna

[Guest guest]

Lin

Just wanted to tell you that I've been taking Xolair since Oct 2004

and I have really seen a big improvement. I am now totally off

pred. It's really great stuff. I imagine your son will be feeling

better soon. You do want to remember that it is not something that

works right away, so don't get discouraged, give it time and you'll

be glad you did. I really didn't see alot of improvement until this

month, and now I feel like I am finally going to get my life back.

If you have any questions I'd be glad to answer then. Also I had

no side effects at all from the Xolair.

---

In asthma , no1friend621 <no1friend621@y...> wrote:

> Hi ....... My name is Lin and my son is going to be takin the

xolair shot....

> it's given by shot once a month or twice a month.....it's very

new...... the information i got on it is.... from the

pulmonlogist......and the allergist..... they both had told me

this....

> like i said shot given once or twice a month...

> the drs need ige levels from allergy and see if ur a candiate

first before getting it...

> it's for moderate to severe asthma patients..

> after getting the shot you have to wait in the drs office for a

hour to see if there any allergic reaction....

>

> thats alll i know so far.....

> my son has had asthma since birth...... so if u need any other

help or any other questions answered about the xolair ask me any

time.....

> we are just waiting from the insurance company to see if

approved...... the med... is very expensive and not all insurance

companies are paying for it....... just to let u know.....

>

> glad to be of help

> Lin

>

>

>

> <pirates_ej@y...> wrote:

> Is Xolair administered by a shot? I saw the pulmonologist last

week and he took a blood sample to see if I was a candidate for a

newer medication that is administered by IV once a month. I have an

appointment with him again next week and I guess he will give me the

results then. I had assumed it was Xolair, but now I am not sure.

Does anyone have any idea what it could be? He has also ordered an

echocardiogram which I will have this Thursday. Is that just pretty

standard? I do get chest pain on the left side of my chest and

shoulder during an attack, but just always assumed that was part of

it. Does anyone else experience that? I really hope there is not a

problem. I feel like I am dealing with enough chronic things at the

moment. Thanks,

>

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