Second Shot

[Guest guest]

Hey all, I got my second shot this week and have a question. I had

both shots in the stomach this time, last time one was in my arm and

it hurt like a you know what!! Made my whole are go numb down to my

fingers. Anyway this time one side got a bubble of meds, that while

I was there waiting for the 4 hours, spread a bit. I showed the

nurse but she just said next time they would use a " dry needle " , not

sure what that means. But the next day that same side was red,

swollen, itchy and hurt. The other side did not. It is better now

at day 2.

Do any of you know why only one side would react like that? Is that

something to worry about? Other then this and feeling like the room

is spinning when I lay down the night I get the shot, I am doing

GREAT on it! It has already made a huge improvement with having to

use the rescue inhaler. We are hoping come dec at my next check up

we can reduce some of the other meds.

Also I am off to Vegas for a week, any advice for the trip? I carry

my epi pens on me both, and will have all meds including a " just in

case " rx of Pred in my carry on.

Thanks for everything,

Dana

[Guest guest]

Dana,

I would call the DR. I blew off reactions like that and ended up have an really

bad one . I so wanted the xoalir to make my life better.

----- Original Message -----

From: happygirl61972

Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 4:22 PM

Subject: [ ] Second Shot

Hey all, I got my second shot this week and have a question. I had

both shots in the stomach this time, last time one was in my arm and

it hurt like a you know what!! Made my whole are go numb down to my

fingers. Anyway this time one side got a bubble of meds, that while

I was there waiting for the 4 hours, spread a bit. I showed the

nurse but she just said next time they would use a " dry needle " , not

sure what that means. But the next day that same side was red,

swollen, itchy and hurt. The other side did not. It is better now

at day 2.

Do any of you know why only one side would react like that? Is that

something to worry about? Other then this and feeling like the room

is spinning when I lay down the night I get the shot, I am doing

GREAT on it! It has already made a huge improvement with having to

use the rescue inhaler. We are hoping come dec at my next check up

we can reduce some of the other meds.

Also I am off to Vegas for a week, any advice for the trip? I carry

my epi pens on me both, and will have all meds including a " just in

case " rx of Pred in my carry on.

Thanks for everything,

Dana

[Guest guest]

Do you still take the shot?? So far the it has already reduced the

number of times that I use the rescue inhaler, and I am still with my

black lab that everyone wants me to get rid of but I just can't bring

myself to do it. She even sleeps with me and now I am not waking up

at night I see this as a HUGE plus, although my husband and siste

both want me to get rid of her, but me and the kids do not want to!

Dana

--- In , " Karin Melvin " <nnmfam@...>

wrote:

>

> Dana,

> I would call the DR. I blew off reactions like that and ended up

have an really bad one . I so wanted the xoalir to make my life

better.

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: happygirl61972

>

> Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 4:22 PM

> Subject: [ ] Second Shot

>

>

> Hey all, I got my second shot this week and have a question. I

had

> both shots in the stomach this time, last time one was in my arm

and

> it hurt like a you know what!! Made my whole are go numb down to

my

> fingers. Anyway this time one side got a bubble of meds, that

while

> I was there waiting for the 4 hours, spread a bit. I showed the

> nurse but she just said next time they would use a " dry needle " ,

not

> sure what that means. But the next day that same side was red,

> swollen, itchy and hurt. The other side did not. It is better now

> at day 2.

>

> Do any of you know why only one side would react like that? Is

that

> something to worry about? Other then this and feeling like the

room

> is spinning when I lay down the night I get the shot, I am doing

> GREAT on it! It has already made a huge improvement with having

to

> use the rescue inhaler. We are hoping come dec at my next check

up

> we can reduce some of the other meds.

>

> Also I am off to Vegas for a week, any advice for the trip? I

carry

> my epi pens on me both, and will have all meds including a " just

in

> case " rx of Pred in my carry on.

>

> Thanks for everything,

> Dana

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Dana,

> I can never have Xoalir again I even went back and attempted with

the allergist standing by and the reaction was very fast and very

severe I need up on a ventilator and had from what hey told me no

blood pressure. IT does not meant this will happen to you . I would

just call. Trust me I know how much the Xolair was helping me . Since

I am off I am back to what I was on pred in the ER and unable to go

anywhere . IT just plain old stinks.

Karin,

I am so sorry. Unfortunately you are one of the very few who have

severe reaction problems. I have never had any kind of reaction

whatsoever in the past 5 years.

I might have to stop xolair too. I just found out that my insurance is

drastically changing next year and I will not be able to afford the

xolair co payments along with every other medication I take.

The premiums (I pay them myself) will be going up and the co payments

quite a bit.

I will have a good talk with my doctor Friday when I get my next shots

and see if I can go off xolair for a while. I might have to go back on

Prednisone again. I have already had neck surgery to correct pred

problems in my cervical spine and I can always go on insulin for my

diabetes when it comes back UGH!

Doug

Your scared to death of pred

group founder

[Guest guest]

Doug,

I hope you can work something out to stay on it. Perhaps a cost-

benefit analysis approach to the insurance? Perhaps complaining to

the appropriate boards/agencies about the specific issues that would

prevent you from being able to pay for Xolair? i.e., denial of care?

I'm hoping that there is some " carry-over " of benefit even

after stopping Xolair June 30th because of the time & dollars

involved in going to a major medical center. Perhaps that will be

the case for you. At the time I quit I noticed it wasn't working as

well for asthma although that might have been a temporary situation.

I almost felt like I needed more and more and of course they will not

allow anything like that. I'm on Advair twice a day now and Spiriva

and Albuterol every day. Still not totally under control. I guess

in some ways it could be worse, though.

Is it possible to volunteer for any kind of study to get Xolair

for free? Or, possibly a study on something new coming on the

market? (I realize that's a bit off topic here)

Take care.

> Karin,

>

> I am so sorry. Unfortunately you are one of the very few who have

> severe reaction problems. I have never had any kind of reaction

> whatsoever in the past 5 years.

>

> I might have to stop xolair too. I just found out that my insurance

is

> drastically changing next year and I will not be able to afford the

> xolair co payments along with every other medication I take.

> The premiums (I pay them myself) will be going up and the co

payments

> quite a bit.

>

> I will have a good talk with my doctor Friday when I get my next

shots

> and see if I can go off xolair for a while. I might have to go back

on

> Prednisone again. I have already had neck surgery to correct pred

> problems in my cervical spine and I can always go on insulin for my

> diabetes when it comes back UGH!

>

> Doug

>

> Your scared to death of pred

> group founder

>

[Guest guest]

Definitely the doctor needs to be informed and serious discussion

ensuing.

But, just throwing out some thoughts based on my experience. When I

went to the infusion center after happily home injecting for 1-1/2

years,

(a) the nurse injected into my arm without pinching the fat (pinching

the fat does not hurt),

( she injected immediately after wiping the area with alcohol (she

should have waited 30 seconds - by not doing so she pressed the very

irritating alcohol inside my skin)and

© she injected with the needle almost parallel to my skin. At home

I " harpooned " almost directly (at a right angle) into the fat.

(d) She also injected very quickly which is the OPPOSITE of what

Genentech requires. I had a swollen hot lump for 10 days and 2 big

black marks on my upper left arm. It hurt too much to lay on that

arm. I NEVER had that happen at home.

So, the point is, that the nurse's technique could have possibly had

something to do with it. Or, maybe not.

In my case the doctor said they would just get a different nurse but

I decided not to go back for another expensive and uncomfortable

screw-up. Also, the infusion center pharmacist gave me incorrect

instructions on how to use the epi-pen - glad my life did not depend

on it. (Sorry, I digressed a bit.)

Perhaps you can pre-medicate with an anti-histamine but I wouldn't do

it without mutual consent with the doctor. It sort've sounds like

the nurse managed to hit a nerve but I'm not a doctor or a nurse

(although I do " play " one at home <wink>). It's just a thought.

>

> Hey all, I got my second shot this week and have a question. I had

> both shots in the stomach this time, last time one was in my arm

and it hurt like a you know what!! Made my whole are go numb down to

my fingers. Anyway this time one side got a bubble of meds, that

while I was there waiting for the 4 hours, spread a bit. I showed

the nurse but she just said next time they would use a " dry needle " ,

not sure what that means. But the next day that same side was red,

swollen, itchy and hurt. The other side did not. It is better now

day 2.

>

> Do any of you know why only one side would react like that? Is

that something to worry about? Other then this and feeling like the

room is spinning when I lay down the night I get the shot, I am doing

> GREAT on it! It has already made a huge improvement with having to

> use the rescue inhaler. We are hoping come dec at my next check up

> we can reduce some of the other meds.

>

> Also I am off to Vegas for a week, any advice for the trip? I

carry my epi pens on me both, and will have all meds including

a " just in case " rx of Pred in my carry on.

>

> Thanks for everything,

> Dana

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Doug,

>

> I hope you can work something out to stay on it. Perhaps a cost-

> benefit analysis approach to the insurance? Perhaps complaining to

> the appropriate boards/agencies about the specific issues that would

> prevent you from being able to pay for Xolair? i.e., denial of care?

>

> I'm hoping that there is some " carry-over " of benefit even

> after stopping Xolair June 30th because of the time & dollars

> involved in going to a major medical center. Perhaps that will be

> the case for you. At the time I quit I noticed it wasn't working as

> well for asthma although that might have been a temporary situation.

> I almost felt like I needed more and more and of course they will not

> allow anything like that. I'm on Advair twice a day now and Spiriva

> and Albuterol every day. Still not totally under control. I guess

> in some ways it could be worse, though.

>

> Is it possible to volunteer for any kind of study to get Xolair

> for free? Or, possibly a study on something new coming on the

> market? (I realize that's a bit off topic here)

>

> Take care.

>

>

Thanks! It's just a matter of affording the co payment since the

insurance changed. I will ask my doctor Friday when I go in to get my

shots.

Doug

[Guest guest]

Doug,

What about the grant program that Xolair has? There is also one for other

asthma meds I saw on the tv the other night, i forget the name but I will take

note of it next time I see it.

I know what you mean with Pred, I can not keep any food down when I take it.

Does not matter if I take it with or with out food. last time I was on it I had

to take it for 7 days and lost over 10 lbs in the first three days, day 3 i

spiked a fever of over 103. Since Jan I have gone from 165 down to 120 do to my

allergies to foods. My dr still will not give me anything else for a bad

reaction. That is what she gave me for my trip as a just in case thing. But

maybe she does it cause she know I will only take it if i really need it, I hate

the ER!

What about a personal insurance plan? with a different company? Worth looking

at.

I will keep you in my prayers and hope you do not have to go off this wonderful

med

God Bless,

Dana

[Guest guest]

>

> Doug,

>

>

> What about the grant program that Xolair has? There is also one for

other asthma meds I saw on the tv the other night, i forget the name

but I will take note of it next time I see it.

>

> I know what you mean with Pred, I can not keep any food down when I

take it. Does not matter if I take it with or with out food. last

time I was on it I had to take it for 7 days and lost over 10 lbs in

the first three days, day 3 i spiked a fever of over 103. Since Jan I

have gone from 165 down to 120 do to my allergies to foods. My dr

still will not give me anything else for a bad reaction. That is what

she gave me for my trip as a just in case thing. But maybe she does

it cause she know I will only take it if i really need it, I hate the ER!

>

> What about a personal insurance plan? with a different company?

Worth looking at.

>

> I will keep you in my prayers and hope you do not have to go off

this wonderful med

>

> God Bless,

> Dana

Thanks Dana and all who have responded.

I called the provider and found out that with this policy, they have a

$50.00 a month copay for specialty drugs like Xolair. WHEW! I can

handle that copay! Well, my xolair is covered at a price I can afford

again for 2009.

Doug

Group founder

[Guest guest]

Doug and Everyone,

 

Here's information for those of us who are in need of financial support

regarding Xolair:

 

Commitment to Patient Access Genentech is committed to patients having access to

our therapies. Through its Genentech Access Solutions program, the company

provides patients and healthcare providers with coverage and reimbursement

support, patient assistance and informational resources. Patient assistance

support is for those eligible patients in the United States who do not have

insurance coverage or who cannot afford their out-of-pocket co-pay costs.

 

Since 1985, when our first product was approved, Genentech has donated

approximately $1 billion in free medicine to uninsured patients through its

Genentech® Access to Care Foundation (GATCF) and other charitable programs.

The company recently expanded GATCF to provide free drug to eligible patients

who have private insurance and have met or exceeded their lifetime maximum

benefits.

In February 2007, the company announced the expansion of GATCF to help address

the needs of financially eligible patients enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan

who are prescribed Tarceva® (erlotinib).

Genentech Access Solutions For patients and their health care providers,

Genentech Access Solutions provides coverage and reimbursement support, patient

assistance and information resources. For more information on potential

assistance options, please call (866) 4 ACCESS or visit

GenentechAccessSolutions.com.

 

Co-pay Assistance Since 2005, Genentech has donated more than $140 million to

independent non-profit organizations that provide co-pay assistance. To learn

more about these independent, public charities, patients can speak with a

specialist from Genentech's Access Solutions group by calling (866) 4 ACCESS or

visiting GenentechAccessSolutions.com.

I have appealed to them because I was downsized, as they call it, in April and

my health coverage was terminated on September 1st. With the help of my great

and long-term allergist, a decision is pending (return paperwork and financial

in), but in the meantime, they've decided to continue with the shipments to my

allergist.

 

Please explore this avenue. Good luck to everyone on this (and good luck to me,

too)

 

Sincerely,

Amirh

Animals are sentient beings.

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AmirhBahati.weebly.com

MusingsOnLifeOnEarth.blogspot.com

AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall.weebly.com (by Deceember 31st)

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