Guest guest Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 > > I was wondering if anyone here knows of or has any personal experience > with 2 biologics at the same time. In addition to the Xolair my > Rhumatologist is looking into adding Embrel for my Psoriatic arthritis > as methotrexate is not doing the job alone. The Enbrel would be in > combination with that. The rub is that it is a biologic like the > Xolair though it works entirely differently and is not really related > other then being classified as such. The Dr. is doing some more > homework prior being that it is new territory along with having to get > Hep B and C test done first as well as TB. > I would like to more about this as well. My Psoriasis is growing worse each day. It is now coming up on my arms, hands and face. My Dermatologist said that the next step would be a systemic medication. If there is going to be a problem with taking Xolair and another systemic at the same time, I will have 2 choices: 1. Breathe 2. Look like a patchy, scaley mess! Well, I do have to breathe so I have to choose #1 sigh! Doug Group founder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 I am so far fortunate on the Psoriasis front. In fact when I was first diagnosed with the Psoriatic Arthritis I had Dr's disagreeing that was what I had since I didn't have the noticeable psoriasis but was RH negative for Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was only in my mid to late 20's then. I am 45 now and long story short in the past few years I have one very small spot of psoriasis on one upper thigh that has grown to about the size of a quater. Turns out my original Rhumatologist was right........unfortunately she has now retired :-(. I have not heard back yet from my pulmonologist what his opinion is as far a combining the Enbrel and Xolair. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a fight on my hands with my insurance as well since the Enbrel is as expensive as the Xolair or maybe even a little more though I more them meet their criteria for it. I'm sure they will try to deny it at least once. Unfortuately my 2 choices will be 1. Breathe 2. Move and as you said you kind of have to breathe!! ----- Original Message ---- From: uca79iii <bme1979@...> Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 3:54:54 PM Subject: [ ] Re: two biologics? > > I was wondering if anyone here knows of or has any personal experience > with 2 biologics at the same time. In addition to the Xolair my > Rhumatologist is looking into adding Embrel for my Psoriatic arthritis > as methotrexate is not doing the job alone. The Enbrel would be in > combination with that. The rub is that it is a biologic like the > Xolair though it works entirely differently and is not really related > other then being classified as such. The Dr. is doing some more > homework prior being that it is new territory along with having to get > Hep B and C test done first as well as TB. > I would like to more about this as well. My Psoriasis is growing worse each day. It is now coming up on my arms, hands and face. My Dermatologist said that the next step would be a systemic medication. If there is going to be a problem with taking Xolair and another systemic at the same time, I will have 2 choices: 1. Breathe 2. Look like a patchy, scaley mess! Well, I do have to breathe so I have to choose #1 sigh! Doug Group founder __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I was looking at 2 biologics as well (enbrel and xolair). Was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis but don't have what sounds like psoriasis (not sure what it looks like). I used to have horrific rashes that had itchy clear off- white fluid and bled (I scratched) and looked gruesome until another doc discovered I was low on B6. That helped some. I think another thing is the Xolair (!!!) as I worked in the garden this week-end and a few week-ends ago and got poked and scraped plenty of times by bushes and weeds and am not having a skin problem. The last visit to the rheumy changed the diagnosis to " Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis. " It seems she doesn't really know for sure which I have but I do have a lot of inflammation (I thought part of the inflammation was from allergies ? ! ? ! ? !) and joint pain. She said I had to be on methotrexate before and apparently along with Enbrel and since Methotrexate caused bleeding, severe headache, coughing, dizziness and sinus infection it's not likely I will go back on it. I get the feeling that Xolair is one of the mildest biologics out there. I wonder why Xolair is not required to be given in conjunction with another drug? I am taking Aleve for the arthritis for whatever that's worth. Unfortunately the pain is growing in intensity and walking, pushing, pulling are becoming harder. I'm losing strength. > > > > I was wondering if anyone here knows of or has any personal experience > > with 2 biologics at the same time. In addition to the Xolair my > > Rhumatologist is looking into adding Embrel for my Psoriatic arthritis > > as methotrexate is not doing the job alone. The Enbrel would be in > > combination with that. The rub is that it is a biologic like the > > Xolair though it works entirely differently and is not really related > > other then being classified as such. The Dr. is doing some more > > homework prior being that it is new territory along with having to get > > Hep B and C test done first as well as TB. > > > > I would like to more about this as well. My Psoriasis is growing worse > each day. It is now coming up on my arms, hands and face. My > Dermatologist said that the next step would be a systemic medication. > > If there is going to be a problem with taking Xolair and another > systemic at the same time, I will have 2 choices: > > 1. Breathe > > 2. Look like a patchy, scaley mess! > > Well, I do have to breathe so I have to choose #1 sigh! > > Doug > Group founder > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Hmmm, I don't know if this is relevant but ... on the medsafe website (url below) it said " Xolair therapy has not been studied in patients with autoimmune diseases, immune complex-mediated conditions, or those with pre-existing renal or hepatic impairment. Caution should be exercised when administering Xolair in these patient populations. " http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datasheet/x/Xolairinj.htm I thought that asthma was an autoimmune disorder in and of itself. Many with significant asthma symptoms also have other diseases including arthritis in one form or another. Maybe more has come out since this article was written. It doesn't say that Xolzir should not be used; just that it has not been studied in those populations. --- In , " dawnapril2 " <dawnapril2@...> wrote: > > I was wondering if anyone here knows of or has any personal experience > with 2 biologics at the same time. In addition to the Xolair my > Rhumatologist is looking into adding Embrel for my Psoriatic arthritis > as methotrexate is not doing the job alone. The Enbrel would be in > combination with that. The rub is that it is a biologic like the > Xolair though it works entirely differently and is not really related > other then being classified as such. The Dr. is doing some more > homework prior being that it is new territory along with having to get > Hep B and C test done first as well as TB. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 I did hear back from my pulmonologist this morning, he saw not reason or indications that the Enbrel and Xolair could not be used together. I did find someplace in my readings that the combination had not been studied yet but then again being that the drug is relatively new ( the Xolair) and the original study groups were limited as far as other conditions that is no surprise. The Enbrel has also only been around since late 1998 and is as expensive or more expensive then the Xolair so I'm sure they started with the more common less expensive drug combinations for clinical testing first. I'm pretty sure the insurance company is not going to be thrilled with the combination either but I'm willing to give it a try, I'll just have to get used to being a pin cusion between all the shots and the blood work!!!! ----- Original Message ---- From: instdesgn1 <instdesgn1@...> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 9:14:51 PM Subject: [ ] Re: two biologics? Hmmm, I don't know if this is relevant but ... on the medsafe website (url below) it said " Xolair therapy has not been studied in patients with autoimmune diseases, immune complex-mediated conditions, or those with pre-existing renal or hepatic impairment. Caution should be exercised when administering Xolair in these patient populations. " http://www.medsafe. govt.nz/profs/ Datasheet/ x/Xolairinj. htm I thought that asthma was an autoimmune disorder in and of itself. Many with significant asthma symptoms also have other diseases including arthritis in one form or another. Maybe more has come out since this article was written. It doesn't say that Xolzir should not be used; just that it has not been studied in those populations. --- In , " dawnapril2 " <dawnapril2@ ...> wrote: > > I was wondering if anyone here knows of or has any personal experience > with 2 biologics at the same time. In addition to the Xolair my > Rhumatologist is looking into adding Embrel for my Psoriatic arthritis > as methotrexate is not doing the job alone. The Enbrel would be in > combination with that. The rub is that it is a biologic like the > Xolair though it works entirely differently and is not really related > other then being classified as such. The Dr. is doing some more > homework prior being that it is new territory along with having to get > Hep B and C test done first as well as TB. > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Yipee! Sounds like progress, breaking new ground, etc. is being made! I'm glad for you (and others who are out there struggling with dual diagnosis) that you're getting a chance at combo treatment. Please let us know how it goes - I might be to that point some day myself! All good things to you! > > > > I was wondering if anyone here knows of or has any personal > experience > > with 2 biologics at the same time. In addition to the Xolair my > > Rhumatologist is looking into adding Embrel for my Psoriatic > arthritis > > as methotrexate is not doing the job alone. The Enbrel would be in > > combination with that. The rub is that it is a biologic like the > > Xolair though it works entirely differently and is not really related > > other then being classified as such. The Dr. is doing some more > > homework prior being that it is new territory along with having to > get > > Hep B and C test done first as well as TB. > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.