Xolair vs. other Steriods

[janice11]

I have been on Prednisone and Decadron for approx 2 months battling ABPA. My Dr is starting me on Xolair injections next week. My question is basically the weight gain. Does Xolair have the same "moon face" and weight gain as the other steroids or will that subside as I taper off the Prednisone and Decadron?
Any input on Xolair would be much appreciated. They also want me to carry an Epi Pen with me at all times when I get the shot which concerns me. Has anyone had an allergic reaction to Xolair?

 

[Melissa75]

Xolair is not a steroid so you should be fine on the weight/face front. Xolair lowers the IgE response. Here is the wiki on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omalizumab
In contrast, steroids are "anti-inflammatory by preventing phospholipid release, decreasing eosinophil action and a number of other mechanisms." (That's from wikipedia too, I didn't know that off the top of my head lol.)

I get regular allergy shots, and I have to stay in the office for 30 min after the shots to make sure I have no reaction to the allergens I am purposefully being exposed to in the shots. The concern with Xolair is that you could be one of the very few people allergic to the medication itself, and the allergy can show up w/in 24 hrs after leaving the office. The epi pen is just to be safe.

A few people on this site do Xolair and seem very pleased with it. Hopefully, they will share their experiences.

 

[Incomudrox]

There is an inherent problem with Xolair, that being if it lowers IgE response, how do you know when you have have successfully treated the ABPA? Some food for thought.

 

[brewz2]

My 11 year old daughter is currently gets Xolair injections every two weeks. She has extremely high IGE levels and pneumonia this past fall, which lead to the ABPA dx. She was on 80 mg of prednisone since the end of February and is currently tapering down, her current dose is 5mg a day, so we can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel.She also takes Voriconazole to attack the mold.Her Xolair shots seem to be doing the trick. We also carry around an epi pen, just in case, but we've never had to use it. Prednisone has really done a number on her...emotional, weight gain, headaches and the list goes on...but her ige levels have dropped dramatically, and the course of meds she's been on are doing the job. We haven't had any complaints or problems with Xolair, other than it's a very expensive medicine - thank God for insurance Best of luck to you, ABPA seems like a long road...but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Tracey, mom to Sydney, 11 w/cf DF508, type 1 diabetes, asthma and ABPA and Seth, 7, w/cf DF508

 

[janice11]

Thank you so much for your replies. I actually get the shot tomorrow! Can't wait to get back to my "normal" self off these steroids. Crossing my fingers for good results with the Xolair.

 

[viori2001]

HI Brewz2, I just wanted to ask about your experience with the prednisone as my daughter has also just been diagnosed with ABPA and shes only 5.
She is on 37 mg for 2 weeks then 25 for another 2 weeks and later on alternating days, until the xray results.
Having read about prednisone side affects i am really worried about them especially growth development given her young age.
I also enquired about xolair and antifungal but she didnt want to start her on anti-fungal.In regards to Xolair she didnt even wanted to think of it as yet, she said my daughter is way too young. We live in Australia so maybe to practices are different but would really want to hear of other people experiences.Thank you!An

 

[alexnw]

Xolair

I have been on Prednisone and Decadron for approx 2 months battling ABPA. My Dr is starting me on Xolair injections next week. My question is basically the weight gain. Does Xolair have the same "moon face" and weight gain as the other steroids or will that subside as I taper off the Prednisone and Decadron?
Any input on Xolair would be much appreciated. They also want me to carry an Epi Pen with me at all times when I get the shot which concerns me. Has anyone had an allergic reaction to Xolair?

I was on Prednisone for more than 2 years treating ABPA. Every time the dosage was tapered it would flair up again. I have been receiving Xolair injections every 2 weeks for the last 10 months and have now been off the Prednisone completely for 5 months. The Xolair apparently takes a couple of months to build up in your system although, in my case, I saw immediate benefits in clearing out my ABPA lung problem. I am now stable taking Xolair plus a QVar inhaler to prevent inflammation in my airways.