Re: allergic reaction to Xolair

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi- I got my first injection last week. I am allergic to everything

> including many meds and environmental stuff. In the middle of the

> night I woke up and felt a bit flushed and itchy on my face and my

> heart was beating faster then usual-but not bad-85 instead of 70 beats

> per minute. It settled after 15 minutes and I have felt fine since. I

> am already maxed out on all antihistimines and even upped my

> prednisone that morning a tiny bit. Anyone had any allergic reaction

> the first time, did you continue with the Xolair and if so did the

> reaction get worse? I have an epi pen. but that'll make my heart beat

> faster.

>

Shirl,

Reactions are rare but they DO occur. Have you told your doctor yet?

If not let him/her know ASAP. If you get bad use your epi with your

doctors instructions.

Doug

Group founder

[Guest guest]

Hi Shirl,

I had a reaction to the first shot also and was advised not to continue

Xolair. I have continued to follow this board, as the doctor is

thinking one of my asthmatic children may be a candidate for Xolair. My

reaction was a bit different than yours however. Within an hour of

receiving the first shot I started itching all over and it continued for

about 36 hours after the shot. I had prednisone and antihistamines

onboard before getting the shot. The doctor felt like it was an

anaphylactoid reaction and felt that the benefits of Xolair were not

worth the risk of anaphylaxis in my case.

I was reluctant to tell the doctor at first because I wanted the xolair

so badly, but the people here on the board gave me very good advice and

urged me to call him right away. I am the only one of his patients who

has ever had a problem (with the exception of some mild local site

reactions from the injection), so I think it is very rare, but it does

happen. I was very disappointed to not be able to continue, as Xolair

seems to make such a difference for many people, but I know the doctor

has my safety in mind. I have had bad allergic reactions to many other

medications. I do think Xolair is overall a very safe drug, though, and

would not hesitate to have my son try it if he becomes a candidate,

which is looking quite likely. Reactions can occur with many drugs,

like aspirin and penicillin, that are useful medicines but some of us

have bodies that won't accept them.

Talk it over with your doctor to see what he thinks you should do as far

as future injections. Keep your epi handy and use it if you need to and

call the doctor right away

Best wishes,

--- In , " shirl.halpern " <shirl.halpern@...>

wrote:

>

> Hi- I got my first injection last week. I am allergic to everything

> including many meds and environmental stuff. In the middle of the

> night I woke up and felt a bit flushed and itchy on my face and my

> heart was beating faster then usual-but not bad-85 instead of 70 beats

> per minute. It settled after 15 minutes and I have felt fine since. I

> am already maxed out on all antihistimines and even upped my

> prednisone that morning a tiny bit. Anyone had any allergic reaction

> the first time, did you continue with the Xolair and if so did the

> reaction get worse? I have an epi pen. but that'll make my heart beat

> faster.

>

[Guest guest]

I agree with Doug. Good luck to you, and let us know what you and

your doctor decide.

Addy

Group co-owner

> >

> > Hi- I got my first injection last week. I am allergic to

everything

> > including many meds and environmental stuff. In the middle of the

> > night I woke up and felt a bit flushed and itchy on my face and my

> > heart was beating faster then usual-but not bad-85 instead of 70

beats

> > per minute. It settled after 15 minutes and I have felt fine

since. I

> > am already maxed out on all antihistimines and even upped my

> > prednisone that morning a tiny bit. Anyone had any allergic

reaction

> > the first time, did you continue with the Xolair and if so did the

> > reaction get worse? I have an epi pen. but that'll make my heart

beat

> > faster.

> >

>

>

> Shirl,

>

> Reactions are rare but they DO occur. Have you told your doctor yet?

> If not let him/her know ASAP. If you get bad use your epi with your

> doctors instructions.

>

> Doug

> Group founder

>

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure, but I think yours is the first reported possible

reaction like this in the group.

When the FDA black box warning first came out, my allergist's nurse

looked at me and said that she didn't know how anyone could prove

Xolair causes an analphylactic reaction in a very allergic person,

given that anyone taking Xolair is so terribly allergic to so many

things in the first place.

If it were me, I would do what your doc has recommended - lower the

dosage and increase the amount of time between doses. And I'd get an

epi pen if you don't have one already. then I would see how I did

for a few months and, if I did fine with Xolair, I'd increase my dose

back slowly. If, on the other hand, you have another similar

reaction, it may be time to consider stopping it. (Something that

would devastate me personally.)

Good luck, let us know what happens....

Addy

group co-owner

--- In , " jsrcreation " <jsrcreation@...>

wrote:

>

> Has anyone had an allergic reaction to the Xolair shot? What was

your

> physician's response?

> I have been on 225mg Xolair since August 2005 without any

problems.

> Friday, 10 minutes after my shot, my throat started feeling like it

was

> swelling. The nurse gave me benedryl, and when that didn't help,

epi.

> I wasn't having any other type of problems, and after 30-45

minutes,

> the throat issue went away. My doctor is unsure if it was a

reaction

> to Xolair but said on my next show they would possibly drop the

doseage.

> I had two anaphylatic reactions when I started allery shots in late

> 2000, before the doctor discontinued the allery shots. I have also

had

> varying reactions to a couple of NSAIDS and IV dye. This was

similar

> but at the same time different from those reactions.

> I don't want to stop Xolair, I haven't taken oral pred in 2 years

and

> no flair ups of my asthma since starting Xolair.

>

> Debbie

>

[Guest guest]

Actually there IS an IgE test that has been developed by Genentech

(of course) that distinguishes between bound and unbound Xolair so

those of us who are on Xolair can get some idea of our real unbound

IgE count. It is not, however, widely available as yet. I found out

through Terry that our practice has it (yep, there's two of us who go

to the same practice, but not the same doc), but I don't think

everyone has it.

Ask your doctor. It may be that it's not a matter of the practice

having it, but the lab that actually gets the blood sample....

Addy

Group co-owner

>

> They can't do blood tests while on Xolair if I recall correctly,

I've

> asked multiple times because I think I have some new food allergies

or

> old ones that didn't use to bother me much before and the only way I

> could get re-tested (blood, prick, or otherwise) was by laying off

the

> Xolair for some period of time so I would have accurate results. If

> anyone knows of a way they can do allergy testing while on Xolair,

> please let me know...I've tried the elimination diet but being

> allergic to everything (or so it seems) I get discouraged quickly.

>

>

>

> --- In , SD Designer <instdesgn1@>

wrote:

> >

> > At my last Xolair injection (450 mgs) 6 months ago I was having

> tightness in my chest and couldn't breathe when I sat back in the

> chair.  However, I fully believe I was having a regular old asthma

> attack ... think it was in a mild form when I walked in and then

there

> was the stress of a stupid RN, a dirty medical school infusion

center,

> $$$, hassles, and generalized buffoonery.  The RN did not do a thing

> about my breathing problem - good reason not to go back. 

> Unfortunately, for just a few weeks (maybe 3 or 4?) before I quit

> Xolair, it seemed to stop working on asthma for whatever reason. 

> Therefore, I truly believe it had nothing to do with Xolair - yes,

I'm

> VERY allergic and asthmatic.  In fact, if they get with the program

> and let me home inject I will consider Xolair again.  I have attacks

> every day and out of breath every day upon exertion and while

asleep. 

> >  

> > It's always possible to react to something/anything and Xolair,

like

> many new drugs is not fully understood.  I agree with your doc and

the

> other poster about reducing the dose of Xolair and then later

> gradually increasing it - with epi pen precautions and trying to

keep

> someone close at hand in case you do have difficulties.  

> >  

> > I'm not sure they've had anyone on Xolair that long who has

reacted

> to it ... of course there's always the first time but I would tend

to

> consider other triggers.  Would allergy testing through blood tests

be

> appropriate now to see if you've developed a new allergy?  Perhaps

> even a cold/flu virus that is otherwise very mild? 

> >  

> > Keep us posted!  (pun intended)  

> >  

> > Best to you. 

> >  

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >