Itchy rash

[Guest guest]

I've been on Xolair for a year now and am tapering my steroids very

gradually, since my adrenals had quit making steroids due to what I've

been taking. I'm now down to 60% of what I was on when I started

Xolair. I haven't been having any adverse reactions to Xolair but now

I'm wondering about something that's been happening recently.

Last month, about a week after I received my Xolair shot, I became

extremely itchy all over and that lasted for about 5 days. The same

thing happened this month, but this time I have a wicked rash on my

trunk in addition to unrelenting severe itching. The timing is the

same - this time it started 8 days after my Xolair shot and today is

day 4 of the misery.

I've been living on benadryl around the clock with only partial relief

for short periods of time. Today I saw my doc's PA and she gave me a

steroid shot, Atarax and Elocon cream, which I started immediately.

It's 3 AM here in Florida and the itching is so bad I can't sleep. The

Atarax isn't working nearly as well as the Benadryl was, but I can't

take Benadryl now until the Atarax dose wears off. Aargh!!!

The timing of my symptoms after the Xolair shots may be coincidental as

pollen counts have been very high for weeks, but the rash is totally

new for me and raises my suspicion that it may be Xolair related. In

the past I've NEVER had rashes, no matter how much I itched.

I'm wondering if any of you have had a similar experience. Thanks -

Fran