Re: My 4th Anniversary on Xolair

[Guest guest]

Doug,

What a great story! I'm just behind you at 3 years on Xolair (this October).

When the medication hit the market I begged my doctor to let me try it and he

was very hesitant because it was so new. I wasn't an ER-type patient and I

didn't take prednisone everyday so he decided to hold off for a while.

A year later I walked in his office and told him how miserable I had felt over

the past few months. He asked me why I hadn't come back sooner. I told him

that I was ready to give up trying to feel any better and that I just accepted

the fact that my asthma is going to control the rest of my life. He increased

my meds and sent me on my way. At the next visit he wanted to know how the

increase in meds was helping and I told him it was making a bit of difference.

That's when he suggested I try Xolair if my insurance company would pay for it.

When he said that I almost jumped off the table with excitement. It hadn't even

occurred to me that he was even considering it and I wasn't planning on bringing

it up again because I'd basically thrown in the towel and just didn't care much

anymore.

Long story short, I was on the shot for 1 year with what seemed like NO

benefit. I decided to stop taking it and I got very sick and ITCHY! Two weeks

later I was back on the shot and the itching went away. From there my shot had

to be adjusted and it's been pretty much smooth sailing ever since. The weather

pattern has wreaked havoc with my lungs toward the end of this summer but I seem

to be on the upswing now that things have gotten back to normal. Tomorrow is my

last day of a 3-week pred taper.

My asthma isn't as bad as Doug's but I've gone from using my rescue inhaler

4-6x per day and frequent pred tapers to using it 1x per week with almost no

pred tapers. In fact, this round of pred is the first I've needed in the 3

years I've been on Xolair.

Xolair isn't a cure but it sure is one effective treatment!

Good breathing to all!

uca79iii <bme1979@...> wrote:

Exactly four years ago, I got my first Xolair shot.

At that time, I was nebbing with 3 medications 4-6 times daily, on

Advair twice daily and on 40 mg of evil candy.

I had developed type II diabetes, was 40 pounds overweight, cranky,

grouchy, irritable, depressed and sometimes just downright mean taking

all that Pred. I had 3 cataract surgeries and two cervical disk

fusion surgeries due to disk deterioration from so much steroid use.

I even have a metal plate in my neck.

I don't know how many times I begged my doctor to give me something

besides Pred but there was nothing else she could give me.

I was in her office for an emergency AGAIN when she mentioned a brand

new drug for extreme asthmatics like me. It had just been approved by

the FDA and was fresh on the market. In fact, the Xolair rep had just

left her office and her nurse tried to catch him before he drove off.

At that time, there was no place online to look up this new drug or

any support so I started this group.

We are now up to 463 members since September 15, 2003.

At first, I was extremely apprehensive about it. " Oh No " I said. " Not

me! Did they do a good enough job in those so called " clinical

trials? " What if this brand new stuff gives me warts all over my body,

turns my hands green and they fall off?? I am not going to be the

first guinea pig here in the state of Arkansas. This stuff is very

$$$$$. I know my picky insurance is and they will give me fits to

cover it. "

I was at my wits end and didn't want to live the rest of my life like

this so I took a chance and started the Xolair.

To my surprise, my insurance covered it without question with only a

35.00 co payment for a 3 month supply. I about fainted!

I remember my first shots. I been getting regular allergy shots since

1959 but I was still petrified. I was so scared they would hurt badly

and I would have an extreme reaction but but they didn't and never have.

After 6 months, there was NO improvement in my asthma! I was still

nebbing the same ol way and taking the same drugs with no relief.

I told my doc that I wanted to stop taking it. He (I moved and got a

new doc) encouraged me to give it at least another 6 months. After

another month or two, I gradually started seeing improvement.

After a year, I was doing well enough to go OFF Pred (HALLELUJAH!) and

only was using my neb twice a day.

Now I am only nebbing with Xopenex once or twice a day and taking

Advair. Sure, I have SOME days that are a little worse, we all do. I

then add one or two of those meds back to get me over the hump and

then back off again. Overall, I am 95% improved. Unfortunately, Xolair

is NOT a cure but a powerful weapon to keep our asthma under control.

Side effects you ask?? Not one! The worst side effects I have ever

had were from years and years of Evil Candy.

Thank you Xolair for giving me my life and health back!

Doug Beasley

Group founder

---------------------------------

Shape in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today!

[Guest guest]

Thank you for sharing your story, .

10/23 is my FOURTH anniversary of being on Xolair. 10/23 is also my

birthday. BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT I EVER RECEIVED!

Addy

Group co-onwer

> Exactly four years ago, I got my first Xolair shot.

>

> At that time, I was nebbing with 3 medications 4-6 times daily, on

> Advair twice daily and on 40 mg of evil candy.

>

> I had developed type II diabetes, was 40 pounds overweight, cranky,

> grouchy, irritable, depressed and sometimes just downright mean

taking

> all that Pred. I had 3 cataract surgeries and two cervical disk

> fusion surgeries due to disk deterioration from so much steroid

use.

> I even have a metal plate in my neck.

>

> I don't know how many times I begged my doctor to give me something

> besides Pred but there was nothing else she could give me.

>

> I was in her office for an emergency AGAIN when she mentioned a

brand

> new drug for extreme asthmatics like me. It had just been approved

by

> the FDA and was fresh on the market. In fact, the Xolair rep had

just

> left her office and her nurse tried to catch him before he drove

off.

>

> At that time, there was no place online to look up this new drug or

> any support so I started this group.

> We are now up to 463 members since September 15, 2003.

>

> At first, I was extremely apprehensive about it. " Oh No " I

said. " Not

> me! Did they do a good enough job in those so called " clinical

> trials? " What if this brand new stuff gives me warts all over my

body,

> turns my hands green and they fall off?? I am not going to be the

> first guinea pig here in the state of Arkansas. This stuff is very

> $$$$$. I know my picky insurance is and they will give me fits to

> cover it. "

>

> I was at my wits end and didn't want to live the rest of my life

like

> this so I took a chance and started the Xolair.

> To my surprise, my insurance covered it without question with only a

> 35.00 co payment for a 3 month supply. I about fainted!

>

> I remember my first shots. I been getting regular allergy shots

since

> 1959 but I was still petrified. I was so scared they would hurt

badly

> and I would have an extreme reaction but but they didn't and never

have.

>

> After 6 months, there was NO improvement in my asthma! I was still

> nebbing the same ol way and taking the same drugs with no relief.

> I told my doc that I wanted to stop taking it. He (I moved and got a

> new doc) encouraged me to give it at least another 6 months. After

> another month or two, I gradually started seeing improvement.

> After a year, I was doing well enough to go OFF Pred (HALLELUJAH!)

and

> only was using my neb twice a day.

>

> Now I am only nebbing with Xopenex once or twice a day and taking

> Advair. Sure, I have SOME days that are a little worse, we all do. I

> then add one or two of those meds back to get me over the hump and

> then back off again. Overall, I am 95% improved. Unfortunately,

Xolair

> is NOT a cure but a powerful weapon to keep our asthma under

control.

>

> Side effects you ask?? Not one! The worst side effects I have ever

> had were from years and years of Evil Candy.

>

> Thank you Xolair for giving me my life and health back!

>

> Doug Beasley

> Group founder

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Shape in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel

today!

>

>