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allergy asthma and immunology

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Q: Xolair: Anybody out there with Immunology/Allergy/Medical background???
I was just reading the following on xolair.com:

“…XOLAIR is a different type of medication, the first to treat the attacks and symptoms of allergic asthma by blocking immunoglobulin E (IgE), an underlying cause of allergic asthma.

IgE is a substance that naturally occurs in your body in small amounts. When a person who has allergic asthma is exposed to an allergen, his or her body produces too much IgE. When these IgE antibodies combine with allergens, chemicals called mediators are released. In turn, the release of mediators causes the swelling and inflammation of the airways-the symptoms of allergic asthma.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 60% of people in the United States with asthma have allergic asthma…”
++++++++++++
I’m not sure how this med works-but…IN THEORY…could this med be used not only to control allergic asthma but to control allergies in general??? Like food and enviromental allergies???

Any insight shared is much appreciated!

A: I don’t believe so. I did google Xolair, and it seems to only bind with IgE. The RAST test for allergies tests IgG, IgA, IgM, and IgE, so other immunoglobulins seem to be involved in different kinds of allergies. Some medications that help control allergies/food sensitivities are bad for asthmatics though, so although it can have dangerous side effects, it may be a live-saver for some people.

Q: is it still considered asthma even though there is never any wheezing or difficulty breathing unless sick?
I have a 3 year old little boy who was born very early at 28 weeks gestation. He was on the ventilator for a few days and oxygen for maybe a month and a half and he was very healthy besides that. I was able to recieve the steroids shots that are supposed to help his lungs develop. He even went home a month before they expected him to. He never ever got sick or anything until he was about a year and a half old. Ever since then he has had pneumonia about 14 times, all confirmed with an x-ray (along with the pnuemonia hes had fevers of 104, cough lasting around 5 days or longer and has been extremely irritable.) He has had RSV 3-4 times. He has had so many ear infections since then that he got tubes put in about a year ago. Hes had many sinus infections and bad colds that always turn into something far worse than just a sinus infection or cold. This past winter in october 2008, jayden was almost 3, he had RSV and pneumonia so bad that he was hospitalized for almost 2 weeks and was on oxygen almost the whole time, they even thought they were going to have to send him to the intensive care unit and put a chest tube in to drain the fluid, and from what i understand it is rare for a child of that age to get RSV and have anything more than just the common cold symptoms. I was told that his immune system & lungs should be caught up by the age of two. I also dont understand why he was so healthy from birth to age one and a half, but is always so sick now. The only cause that the doctors can give me is that he has asthma. he has had a cystic fibrosous test- which was negative and allergy tests- all were negative. Nobody has ever smoked around him and hes not around any pets. He has had no other issues except that he continues to get really sick over and over again, and every time he gets sick he gets REALLLY sick. Also, almost everytime he has pneumonia they say his lungs sound clear but just about everytime pnemonia shows up on the xray. I truly don’t think this is asthma, i believe that their should be some kind of immunology work up done. I honestly believe that something else has got to be going on. If anyone has any ideas of what else i could do let me know! i would really appreciate it!

A: Try to calm down and follow along. For the first 6 months an infant has the advantage of extra immunity from the mother. That’s the reason they don’t start immunizing them until that age. After that when they’re healthy they start to build up there own immune systems. Since your child had so many things to overcome from the time he was born he needed extra time for this to happen. It looks like he started to get sick before his body could do this. Every time anyone gets pneumonia the illness leaves some calcification behind. With your son having pneumonia and upper respiratory problems his immune system is so compromised that just about the time he starts to get healthy some form of bacteria invades his body. It doesn’t reflect on you or how you’re raising him, or his environment. This also can happen to adults that have there immune systems compromised. It’s like a terrible circle that you can’t break. It also happened to me and know I have to carry an x-ray of my lungs on a CD so that if I get in an accident and x-rays are taken the doctors won’t think it’s automatically pneumonia. Your son has allot of living to do, and every year the researchers are coming out with newer and better antibiotics and different things to improve our quality of life in every aspect. They even came out with a portable lung that people that need lung transplants can use while they are waiting for one. Just try to keep a happy face when all you want is to scream sometimes. I’m sure you’re already aware on how he picks up when his mommy is upset. Just be the best you can and if you need to get help for the stress then do so. You certainly have your hands full and you deserve it.Don’t forget to take some time for yourself. You won’t do your son any good if your stressed out. Good luck and it is possible he’ll grow out of some of these problems, but keep in mind that it’s nothing wrong that you did. Again good luck and God Bless.

Q: I have a 6 year old son with IGA immune deficiency. We have been to the pediatrician twice in 4days. Any ?
relief? He has now just since school started has been hospitalized for coaxsackie disease (5days) then gets a sinus infection on antibiotics, double ear infection, ON antibiotics, the stomach flu…….NOW EVEN THOUGH HE HAS HAD 3 DIFFERENT ANTIBIOTICS HE HAS A 102.2 fever…………………AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH is there any relief? Mind you a little back ground info on him………3 months in nicu, placental abruption, he has asthma, epilepsy, reflux, BAV, hearing problems (7 sets of tubes and after 3 months the 7th set is confirmed out as of FRI.) IGA deficiency, and a bunch of weird allergies. Out of all the doctors we see immunology, pulmonolgy, allergy, ENT, Gastro, Nuero, OT. everyone argues on what it is causing all the issues. Ent said it was food allergy had to be dairy and wheat. We pulled him off of dairy 6 weeks .no change. We pulled him off of wheat 6 weeks nothing (but a child who lost 5 lbs) Ent ran blood test stated first test was a false negative. Second test was positive. So gastro did an intestinal biopsy for Celiac disease, completely negative no allergy shown what so ever, checked the stomach lining no issue with dairy, just severe reflux which the child has had since day one………………I am so frustrated.NONE of the doctors agree on issue or treatment except IGA, SURGERIES MEDICINE ETC ETC…. the immunologist wants to do 24/7 round the clock antibiotics. Well here is where I stand on that. First off he has an allergy to penicillin as well as sulfa all subclasses antibiotics. So if the ent puts him on round the clock therapy would he not build up immunity to the antibiotic he is on (immunologist says no but I don’t see how it could be avoided) As well his allergies what if he gets sick and needs antibiotics and they don’t work because he is on one 24/7 due to allergies to two subclasses? immunology says we would have to cross that bridge then! OK? I don’t want to it scares me. Isn’t it doctors who tell us too many times patients want antibiotics and they don’t prescribe often because of immunity tolerance over use blah blah blah ? I am going nuts. I have a son who doesn’t no why he always feels bad, why he cant go to school with a fever (since it is so common for him) why he see’ s so many docs. All the needles. All the hospitals. I want to help him so bad he wants a normal childhood. No matter how hard we try to make it just like everyone else he realizes he is different. He doesn’t like it. I can not count how many nights I have cried over not being able to help him. Any advice would be greatly appreciated any suggestions……..HOME SCHOOLING ISN’T AN OPTION DELAYS AND L?D wont allow it.
Appreciate the advice in regards to moving but we are already in Florida now and it seems he has been sicker. How much warmer can you get? lol

A: I have IGA. I totally forgot that I had until I seen this post and most doctors look at me cross eyed when I tell them I have it.

I understand your situation. I spent the better part of my young life in a hospital with pneumonia. I do not understand why your doctor wants to put your son on 24/7 antibiotics. It really would not help him in the long run. My doctor told my mother to move to a warmer climate. So she did and I was sick less often, Much less often. The I moved back to Michigan and I get sick three times a year again.

I know this is gonna sound stupid, but the child needs to sat away from the hospital. There are to many antibiotic resistant bugs in hospitals. Move to a warmer climate. It honestly helped me and I regret moving back here.

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