chronic/persistent illness and depression

[Guest guest]

Nearly all of us who qualify for Xolair live with " persistent "

moderate or severe allergic asthma. They used to call it chronic,

but since asthma can be episodic rather than chronic, they now term

it " persistent " for those of us who have multiple episodes a year.

There is a very strong link between most chronic/persistent illnesses

and depression. For one thing, just the frustration of dealing with

the illness or disease on a daily basis is enough to make one

depressed. For another, often depression can be a side effect of the

medications for some illnesses. Also, the sheer work our bodies our

doing to move oxygen when we are not getting enough air causes

fatigue, which can be a component of depression.

8 or 9 years ago I got in a really bad infection/steroid cycle

following a major hurricane here (11 rounds of antibiotics in 9

months). I ended up on a low dose of paxil for about 5 months to try

to treat the depression caused by the illness which was in turn

making it difficult for me to get out of the infection/steroid

cycle. It was a tremendous help. I have not taken it since (and I

did have to taper off paxil - you can't just quit on SSRIs), although

I was at the point of doing that again when the FDA announced

Xolair's approval and I had some hope again.

Just my experience.

Addy

Group co-owner

It's been so long since I had to see my pulmo they're making me go in

just to renew my oral med prescriptions (which I only need about

three times a year now).

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Since I'm not showing any improvement at all after 2+ months

on

> > > Xolair

> > > > and, in fact, seem to be feeling worse in some ways (worse

body

> > > aches,

> > > > numbness and tingling in extremities, sinusitis, colds,

weight

> > > gain) I

> > > > looked up some statistics on Xolair. I found this from the

> > Canada

> > > > Respiratory Journal in 2006:

> > > >

> > > > ... in the evaluation by Bousquet et al ... , 38% of patients

had

> > a

> > > > response by 4 weeks and 64% by 16 weeks. Fewer than two-

thirds of

> > > > patients who responded at 16 weeks had responded at four

weeks;

> > 87%

> > > had

> > > > shown a response by 12 weeks.

> > > >

> > > > I do know that IgE can be accurately measured while on

Xolair -

> > > that was

> > > > in an April 2007 journal of clinical allergy and immunology.

> > > Obviously

> > > > some people need more based on their IgE and probably other

> > factors

> > > and

> > > > some need less. I'm really concerned about what this is

doing to

> > > me.

> > > > It is completely unacceptable to expect anyone to blindly

accept

> > a

> > > drug

> > > > not working for many months. I certainly would not take an

> > aspirin

> > > for

> > > > a headache now and be willing to wait six months for it to

work.

> > > If it

> > > > doesn't work, there's something wrong and it needs to be

> > > investigated.

> > > > That isn't happening with Xolair. I am no little bit annoyed

> > about

> > > it.

> > > > Genentech only puts out the party line - they're not

answering

> > some

> > > > serious questions.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >