Trials and tribulations

[Guest guest]

I have been doing some experimenting by modifying my therapy (with

the assistance of my Dr.) because I have found that Xolair seems to

make my other medications more effective.

For example, I had been taking Singulair several years ago and

stopped taking it because I was taking large amounts of predisone

due to an allergy-related problem. I started taking it again about

a week ago, and noticed a significant and immediate improvement (15 -

20%) in my asthma - not just the symptoms but the peak flow and

FEV1.

Then I bought a portable nebulizer that I can use in my car during

my drive to work. I have been using Xopenex because my Dr. gave me

some samples, but I think that albuterol would also work fine. I've

been doing this for two days and have seen another significant jump

in my results.

Essentially my PEF had been averaging about 400 for the past 2

months, and my FEV1 had been averaging about 3.0. (My predicted

levels are 662 and 5.20 respectively) Last night I checked my

numbers and got a PEF of 535 and an FEV1 of 3.79!

These are all therapies that I had tried before and given up on

because I wasn't getting any real relief. With the prednisone I

didn't wheeze too much, so I quit doing the other treatments.

I'm sort of operating on the theory that even though I might

be " overmedicating " somewhat, the faster I can see real sustained

improvement, the sooner I can start cutting back on the things that

I don't want to take, i.e., steroids. I am also hopeful that this

will help me make exercise more effective, and I can sleep better,

too.

My Dr. doesn't want me to cut back on the prednisone because of

concerns that the other problem might flare back up again. However,

if I can get off of the Flovent that will be a start.

Anyway, the point of this is that now that you are taking Xolair,

you may want to consider re-trying some alternate, less risky

therapies that you may have given up on in the past. Of course,

always consult your doctor.

By the way, if you are looking into a portable nebulizer, if your

insurance doesn't cover it, look on eBay. They are available for

about half price even compared with the discount on-line providers.

I actually bought mine from a company called J. Hewitt - they were

the lowest of the retailers recommended by Omron. The model I bought

was a NE-C21, cost $169. It came with a rechargable battery and a

car adapter. The same thing is available on eBay for less than

$100. The good news is that my insurance should cover the cost of

this, but I still wish I could have saved a few $.