Re: Addiction to xolair - clarification of terminology

[Guest guest]

Thanks, , for clarifying that one cannot become addicted to xolair.

Because of the way in which xolair acts/reacts in the body, I could not see how

anyone could become " addicted " to it. It certainly doesn't give me a " buzz "

when I have a shot. But I am not a " medical " person, so I was waiting for one

of our medical experts to explain.

I just know that for the length of time I have been on xolair, I have not had

one sinus infection (caused from allergies) nor have I had to be on pred because

the infection exacerbated my asthma. I also did not expect to be completely

cured of my asthma: I have lung damage for years of asthma; xolair will only

help the " allergic " asthma. I also know that I will probably be on some asthma

meds the rest of my life. But the xolair has certainly made my life much easier

in that I can now go for days without using a neb or my rescue inhaler--just the

advair/spiriva/singulair and allegra. I can live with that if I can go all day

long with out an incident.

I am sorry that Margarita feels she has not been helped at all by xolair. That

is a decision for her and her doctor.

Xolair is not a miracle cure--only meant to help out.....The asthma cure hasn't

been discovered yet.

Adah

<carrie72583@...> wrote: Dear

Margarita,

I am nurse and I feel there must be a open discussion

before people get the wrong impression.

The term " addiction " is very value-laden in our

society. We picture drug " addicts " mugging old ladies

in the subway for cash. The true definition of

addiction implies there is a psychological craving for

the substance which leads to drug-seeking behaviours.

People get addicted to drugs (eg opioids) as they

stimulate the dopaminergic pleasure centre in the

brain. Xolair does not do this.

We can speak of a physiological dependence on a drug

such as prednisone whereby the patient would exhibit

withdrawl symptoms if it were abruptly stopped. This

is not addicted. No one is mugging old ladies in the

subway to get the pleasurable effects of pred.

The symptoms you may be describing may have nothing to

do with xolair per se. As you know, the allergy

cascade is multifactorial and xolair targets only one

area of it. Perhaps your prednisone dose has been

lowered enough so that it is no longer covering your

allergies and asthma and the initial response you got

was just your body reacting to that drug and not the

xolair.

We do not know the long-term effects of xolair as the

medication has only been approved since 2003. Everyone

who takes it must realize that. Perhaps after 20 years

of treatment, we will all turn bald and lose an eye.

Who knows. We do assume that risk.

Not everyone has the same reaction to the same drug.

You are not " addicted " to it. You may have developed a

tolerance requiring a higher dose. Long term studies

have not yet shown if tolerance develops.

If you are not happy being on xolair, then by all

means please talk to your doctor and consider stopping

it. Perhaps it is not the drug for you.

We must be careful not to scare people when the facts

do not support it and this is why this board is

moderated by people like Doug, Addy, and

myself.

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[Guest guest]

" No one is mugging old ladies in the

subway to get the pleasurable effects of pred. "

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, what pleasurable effects?? LOL

Hey, I would mug someone just to keep FROM going ON Pred LOL!

J/k

Doug

[Guest guest]

" Xolair is not a miracle cure--only meant to help out.....The asthma

cure hasn't "

Yes Adah,

Unfortunately, Xolair is not a cure but it IS a powerful new weapon in

our arsenal.

Doug

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Doug.....

uca79iii <bme1979@...> wrote: " Xolair is

not a miracle cure--only meant to help out.....The asthma

cure hasn't "

Yes Adah,

Unfortunately, Xolair is not a cure but it IS a powerful new weapon in

our arsenal.

Doug

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[Guest guest]

if i lose an eye in 20 years, can it be that pesky right one that

keeps swelling shut on me without reason?? hahahaaa......

thanks for setting the record straight!!!

heather

>

> Dear Margarita,

>

> I am nurse and I feel there must be a open discussion

> before people get the wrong impression.

>

> The term " addiction " is very value-laden in our

> society. We picture drug " addicts " mugging old ladies

> in the subway for cash. The true definition of

> addiction implies there is a psychological craving for

> the substance which leads to drug-seeking behaviours.

> People get addicted to drugs (eg opioids) as they

> stimulate the dopaminergic pleasure centre in the

> brain. Xolair does not do this.

>

> We can speak of a physiological dependence on a drug

> such as prednisone whereby the patient would exhibit

> withdrawl symptoms if it were abruptly stopped. This

> is not addicted. No one is mugging old ladies in the

> subway to get the pleasurable effects of pred.

>

> The symptoms you may be describing may have nothing to

> do with xolair per se. As you know, the allergy

> cascade is multifactorial and xolair targets only one

> area of it. Perhaps your prednisone dose has been

> lowered enough so that it is no longer covering your

> allergies and asthma and the initial response you got

> was just your body reacting to that drug and not the

> xolair.

>

> We do not know the long-term effects of xolair as the

> medication has only been approved since 2003. Everyone

> who takes it must realize that. Perhaps after 20 years

> of treatment, we will all turn bald and lose an eye.

> Who knows. We do assume that risk.

>

> Not everyone has the same reaction to the same drug.

> You are not " addicted " to it. You may have developed a

> tolerance requiring a higher dose. Long term studies

> have not yet shown if tolerance develops.

>

> If you are not happy being on xolair, then by all

> means please talk to your doctor and consider stopping

> it. Perhaps it is not the drug for you.

>

> We must be careful not to scare people when the facts

> do not support it and this is why this board is

> moderated by people like Doug, Addy, and

> myself.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving

junk email the boot with the All-new at

http://mrd.mail./try_beta?.intl=ca

>