Generic Name: omalizumab
Brand Name: Xolair subcutaneous
Drug Reviews Drug and Medication User Reviews
I developed chronic hives out of nowhere in 2014 that progressively got worse. I would get them randomly but usually I would wake up with them. Eventually, it turned into delayed pressure hives. I would be fine all day until I took off my shoes or pants and I would instantly get hives anywhere there was pressure. My hives would swell up, stay for day and leave large bruises. I tried every medication that is out there along with alternative treatments. I did acupuncture, nothing. I tried foot reflexology. My feet swelled up with hives the next day but over the week that followed my hives went away. Coincidence? Who knows. I was hive free for about 4 years, with the exception of a random hive here and there, nothing big. Fast forward to current they started creeping back in more and more. I started having a lot of lip swelling as well. I didn't do XOLAIR in the past due to the cost but my dermatologist suggest the XOLAIR program. It was easy, I went to the website and signed up. They cover $1500 admin costs (injection apt) and I only have to pay $5.00 for the medication up to $15k that is along with my regular insurance. I just had my second monthly dose. I had a few little hives after the first shot, nothing like I used to. Second shot. I have definitely had more side effects. I instantly got a headache and in the week since my last shot, I feel really tired, headaches a few stomach issues. Even with all that it is still better than having hives!
How does anyone afford this? My daughter needs 2 injections per month, $1K ea, $2K a month is impossible. Just had sample shots, not sure if it even works yet.
Xolair is honestly a miracle drug for me. I had been experiencing full body hives (autoimmune urticaria) for months and I had reached my breaking point as no antihistamine worked. Then came Xolair. It took some time to work so you have to be patient but once it did, my quality of life dramatically improved. I no longer experience hives although I can tell when it is wearing off because I will start to itch a bit ( nowhere close to what my hives were like before). I receive monthly injections.
This is a miracle drug. I have been using my Ventolin inhaler so much I needed one once a week. I have been on xolair for 2 1/2 months and my current Ventolin has lasted 15 days. It's about half full still. I'm walking. Losing weight. Able to do things I couldn't for the last 3 years. I love xolair. It's saved my life.
Vial works 100% but pre filled syring does not work well, 35 to 50 percent effective
Chronic hives for about 14 months now. I had hoped this would help, as little else has. Alas, I can honestly say that after 5 shots, any benefit is undetectable. I had managed to reduce the scope of the hives by limiting my diet (no nitrates, no artificial colors or flavors, no high histamine, and no high salicylate foods). But only steady antihistamine doses throughout the day seem to help - 50mg of hydroxyzine 3x a day for itch and 50-100mg of Benadryl 3x a day to reduce hives. (Thankfully the drowsiness of both passes after a few days.) A Xantac during heavier outbreaks seems to help as well. None of the non-drowsy antihistamines helped at all (Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec, etc.). Not sure what to do now, as I donâ??t want to take all these pills indefinitely (it canâ??t be healthy). Crossing my fingers that the Xolair might just take a little longer to work for me, but Iâ??m not holding my breath!
I was taken off this in Nevada because my blood test was better.
I was given this for persistent hives. It gave me a headache soon after. I dismissed it as being non related. By evening time I had a sever reaction with vomiting and loss of consciousness. An ambulance was called and I arrived at the er. The doctors there thought the headache was brought on by the shot as well as the vomiting and passing out. For 2 weeks following I was exhausted and my joints ached. My joints hurt so badly I fell in the shower. My chest was very tight and I thought I was having a heart attack. It was checked and I was not. It took 10 days for these symptoms to subside. The staff at the clinic I received the shot denied these symptoms were related to the shot and said they had no patients that experienced these. ALL of my symptoms were on the list of possible side effects. I thought the pros outweighed the cons for Xolair which is why o got the shot. I was very wrong. I would not recommend this.
I have a urticaria hives for almost 7 years. I have tried Zyrtec, Claritin & all other medicines. No luck.Finally I found Xoliar. It really worked well for a while.I was amazed to have that injection every time.No hives, Itching. redness. yeah I got what i need. But After an year I realized my elbow, palm getting muscle pain & Joint pain in fingers.And also If I got cold it will take time to recover even I had the Cold and Cough syrups. I use to have the cold for more than 10 days. Sneezing, Coughing,Running nose. You can say "It might be a allergies".Yes I tried Zyrtec for allergies also, nothing worked. Xoliar destroys our immune system totally whatever we built from our childhood. Some time when you get a cold, people will have fever tablet also for precaution. But after had the tablet only, they will feel fever. Same here, Slowly you wil be like Asthma patient after getting Xoliar even you dont have Asthma. No Xoliar. Avoid sugar whenever possible (sugar wil lead itchy). Good Luck.
I see many people are giving this drug good reviews so I feel I need to speak up. I had a terrible experience with Xolair. I had taken it for about a year with no side effects and not much noticeable impact on my asthma (which was already mostly under control with Symbicort). One day I got a shot and experienced "feelings of impending doom." This was one of the listed side effects which I at first found silly until I experienced it. I developed severe anxiety and have not fully recovered 3 years later. My brain functions slower and I can't remember things like I used to. This drug severely impacted my life and I hope people will use extreme caution before experimenting with it. I have no reason to post this other than to try to help prevent people from going through what I went through. If many people are truly being helped by Xolair, then I am happy for them, but everyone should be aware of the risks.
I have had asthma for over 20 years and have been hospitalized many times. This past 3 years have been the worst. On steroids once a month and between those dozes I would be back to using the breathing machine and Rescue inhalers constantly, with little help from them. The steroids started not working very well. I could not walk up 15 stairs without running to my breathing machine gasping for air. This past 2 years, I have had severe allergies. Can not smell or taste. All night was spent blowing my nose, going through a box of tissue a night. Head and nose constantly stuffed up all day and night. Became a sleep deprived mouth breather, that was afraid of dying from this. Had my first shot two and half weeks ago. I felt enormously better, right away. No more wheezing, allergies gone, and wake every morning, amazed that I have slept all night. It has been a miracle drug for me.
I've been taking this injection monthly for severe asthma for several years and have had superb improvement in my overall ability to control symptoms. I need prednisone very infrequently now and would have rated this higher in ease of use because it's a bit of a hassle to order and time the injections. However, it's been a godsend for me nonetheless.
It was slow to start working. It took a little over a year to start working but once it started wow has it made a difference. I am breathing better than I have in 20 years. I never had a day without severe wheezing not I hardly ever wheeze at all. I don't know how long it will last but I have been on it now for a little more than 3 years and it has changed my quality of life 100%. There are risks with this drug but for me the benefits well outweigh the risks.
I have suffered from chronic uticaria for over 7 years and in the past year the condition was rapidly worsening to the point that I was unable to work at times. I had my first Xolair injection 5 months ago and my life has completely changed. I have been completely hive free since the first injections. Fortunately, with my insurance the injections haven't been as costly as I was told they would be (far less, actually). Xolair has changed my life.
I've had UCI for about 10 years now with no diagnosis of reason for getting them. Was told its caused by internal not external, therefore Xolair would be my cure. It has not, first few months seems like they could be reducing however after 6 shots, still getting them randomly and as frequently as before. No relieve with just the high cost of the shot. Disappointed.
I have been having 3 injections monthly for less than a year with no adverse reactions. At first it seemed the drug was a gift from heaven. However for the last three times the day following the injections I experienced a sever asthma attack which has taken 3 to 4 weeks to recover from using the drug Dacortin (prednisona). I will be discussing this with my consultant before the next injections. Has anyone else had this experience.
I've been getting Xolair shots for 7 1/2 years now and it's wonderful! I have had asthmas since I was 2 (am now 67)used to close up every evening no matter what kind of medication or inhaler I had. Xolair keeps me open and helps me breath. It also is helping my nasal allergies. I have to drive about 30 minutes each way to get my injections every two weeks so it could be more convenient but really, I'm not complaining. This is a wonderful life-changing medication.
My initial response was great no hives! However, this only lasted a couple of months. I continue to receive injections, but I am still having hives. Very disappointed.
This drug ruined my life !!! I received xoalir because of persistent hives problem (chronic urticaria).I have received two injections from each arm almost a month ago and starting from there I have constant chest pain,constant vertigo and dizzness.I feel terrible doctors was unable to find anything.I am praying god that these side effects will pass one day.
Xolair is a nightmare drug. I would not recommend it to anyone. After my first shot I woke up with intense pain in my neck and shoulders and I was unable to turn my head left or right. The pain was so intense that I could not sit up without assistance. The only thing that helped at all with the pain was a Valium shot. Strong pain killers, muscle relaxants, Celebrex all had no effect. Months later I was diagnosed with Poly Myalgia Rheumatica and placed on prednisone. Thirteen months later I still have pain, and a full body Thermogram shows that I have inflammation throughout my body, particularly in all the lymph pathways. I have spent thousands out of pocket to try to deal with the symptoms of the PMR.