Guest guest Posted January 24, 2006 Report Share Posted January 24, 2006 Steve, Genentech & Novartis have programs for those who can't afford their medications. Your physician should have the information, if not, in the groups old postings I have posted them as well as several others. It is ultimately your decision. Think about it. Pat --------------------------------- Photos – Showcase holiday pictures in hardcover Photo Books. You design it and we’ll bind it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2006 Report Share Posted January 24, 2006 Thanks, I will look into them and see if I can locate your old postings. I have applied for other types of programs only to find out the funds have run out. Would this be the case with these companies? Thanks again ________________________________ From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of MommaA Sent: Monday, January 23, 2006 7:53 PM Subject: Re: [ ] New to Xolair Steve, Genentech & Novartis have programs for those who can't afford their medications. Your physician should have the information, if not, in the groups old postings I have posted them as well as several others. It is ultimately your decision. Think about it. Pat --------------------------------- Photos - Showcase holiday pictures in hardcover Photo Books. You design it and we'll bind it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2006 Report Share Posted January 24, 2006 Steve, you sound as bad as me. I have been on xolair for almost 2 years. It hasn't helped. I go twice a month. I have volunteered for this study, it is recruiting. Don't know if they will accept me. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00231114?order=1 http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/an/story/CTVNews/20051119/asthma_treatment_0 51119 > > I was diagnosed with asthma about a year or so ago. Since then, I > have been on pulses of Prednisone form time to time. Starting at > 60MG and tapering down to nothing in about 2 weeks or so. Each > time, after ending the prednisone the breathing problems always > returned. > > I tried Advair and Serevent. These made me cough and have a very > sore throat most of the time. I told my alergist this and she put > me on Flovent and Albuterol. Flovent has serevent in it and I had > to finally quit that. I still take the Albuterol rarely; usually at > night to help calm the wheesing. > > During on of my visits with the allergist she indicated that I need > to find some long-acting brochodilator (like Advair) to take because > there was going to be a time when the inhalers would not be > available because of their influence on the Ozone. I settled on > Foradil which I take in the morning and again in the evening. I > also take Singular, Allegra D, Pulmacort, and Zertec. > > A year ago in September I had nasal surgery which helped quite a bit > but the doctor visits afterwards leave a lot to be desired. > > Since then, I have been taking 10 mg every other day which seemed to > do the trick. It stopped all the wheesing, coughing and shortness of > breath. I really felt like a new man; that is until last July. I > was sitting in front of the allergists office waiting to go in for > an routine exam when my chest started getting a little tight and I > was expeiencing a slight shortness of breath. I waited another 5 > minutes or so I would not have to sit very long in the doctors > office. As I sat there the breathing began to get more difficult by > the second. It got to the point where I barely made it into the > office where they gave me a breathing treatment to ease the > tension. After about 15 minutes the doctor entered the room and > told me that I needed to immediatly check into the hospital. I did > and remained there for about 36 hours. While there I was given > steroid shots and breathing treatments every 4 hours. This > expeience really scared me and I don't want that to happen again. It > is a bummer when you can't get enough air to breathe. > > This episode resulted in allergist with the recommendation to begin > XOLAIR injections in each arm twice a month (4 viles). The doctor > has now reduced the amount of Prednisone to 7 mg every other day. I > haven't seemed to experience all the problems everyone says they > have experienced weaning of Prednisone. The only drawback I have > noticed is that shortly after reducing the dosage or I have > experienced muscle and joint pain; sometimes making it difficult to > walk. > > I thought taking XOLAIR was a good idea because her goal was to > eventually wean me off Prednisone; that is until I looked into the > price of the drug. Due to the fact I will have an out-of-pocket > monthly expense of $800.00 I will likely have to cut back on many > things I have now like getting a second job and cutting back on the > food at the grocery store. As a result, I am definately > contemplating staying on the low doses of Prednisone and dealing > with the consequences if and when they crop up in the future. After > all, I feel good most of the time. If it weren't for the fact that > I am finding it difficult to tolerate the wheezing and the chain > coughing during the night plus the fact that I spend much of the > night sitting in a chair in order to allow my wife and others in the > house to sleep I would definately choose to stay with the > Prednisone. I might add, at this point in time I very seldom use any > inhalers. The Foradil I take every day seems to be working. > > What do you think? Am I doing the right thing? Does anyone know of > any foundations that will help finance the drug? Has anyone else > felt this way about taking XOLAIR also? What recommendations do you > have? I need to make a final decison real soon. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2006 Report Share Posted January 24, 2006 Hi Steve: Can you figure out what changed in your live to cause asthma to flare up at that time? Perhaps you can make some changes, which might help. Also, Intal is a long-acting medication that is not a steroid, I believe. It might help. Carol Steve wrote: I was diagnosed with asthma about a year or so ago. Since then, I have been on pulses of Prednisone form time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Carol, I have tried to determine what might have triggered the asthma but it was a couple of years ago and it is really difficult to pin anything down. I am currently using Foradil which my allergist prescribed for me. I assume you are using or have used Intal. It must have worked well for you or you would not have mentioned it. I will check it out and bring it up at my next checkup in a week or so. > I was diagnosed with asthma about a year or so ago. Since then, I > have been on pulses of Prednisone form time to time. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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