Xolair for Urticaria User Reviews (Page 4)

• Aly
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 13, 2018

"I had been getting hives head to toe for 3 years before trying Xolair... honestly it was so miserable. I had two allergist trying me on prednizone, singulair, doxepin, something like that (in short it was a crazy pill regimen) and that didn't even alleviate the hives in the slightest- just made me depressed and jittery. Until one day I went to a new doctor and he let me try xolair. Immediately after the first shot, my hives were 80% better, and by the second shot 4 weeks later, I was 100% no hives. My skin is super sensitive in general so sometimes I still get itchy or if i go past my 4 weeks some hives develop again, but it is soooooo much better than waking up red and blotchy and itchy every freaking day. Xolair has really changed my life. Although, I wish it was more definite when I can get off of it.. I think you kind of just have to wait for your body allergies to change (meanwhile xolair will still suppress the hives). All in all I would still get on it if I had to do it again."

• Jacob
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 8, 2023

"I have had Chronic Hives since they randomly appeared one day when I was about 8. I have been taking Allegra and Zyrtec for years and that has helped a bunch but still got flare-ups now and then. Finally, my doctor recommended Xolair. At first, it seemed to work at least for the first two weeks. Then my hives started to flare up covering my whole body and becoming unresponsive to any medicines. MY doctor increased my dosage but that has only made them worse. I have them every day. They are more painful and itchy than before I started taking Xolair. Side Effects: for me I have noticed that I am constantly tired. I used to be a night owl and now I can barely make it past 9pm. I sleep 12 hours and wake up feeling exhausted. Have noticed some bone and muscle pains too. I feel a lot weaker overall. And I’m only 20. In conclusion, this drug might work for some, but for me it only made THINGS WORSE."

• Mlw
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 5, 2019

"I had chronic hives for 2 months and zyrtec and zantac did not help. Prednisone was the only thing that stopped them. I was approved for Xolair in month 3. On the 3rd injection I no longer have hives. After 12 months developed side effects of study nose, headaches, chills, hot flushed face."

• Itchy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 24, 2019

"I have had Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria for 9 months. After going through all the otc drugs and prescription drugs, I was started on Xolair injections 6 weeks ago and have had 2 shots. I have experienced no change in the severity of the hives nor the itching since starting the injections. I've been told Xolair can take 12 to 16 weeks to fully take effect so I'm still hoping it will work. In the meantime, I'm losing sleep, tearing at my skin, and have become a recluse as I don't want people to see me scratching all the time. I started having Acupuncture, cupping and herbal treatment 2 weeks ago and that helps for a day or two. However, the cost of 3 - 4 acupuncture treatments a week has resulted in my savings all gone just to get some relief from this infernal itching. I have been to the ER and they can't give me Prednisone or other steroids as I'm on Warfarin."

• MLW
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 7, 2019

"I had hives starting July 2018 and zyrtec & zantac did not help but prednisone did. After 2 months insurance approved xolair. I was told up front it would take 3 xolair injections to feel relief and it did. After 8 months of xolair I began having side effects of chills, cold/painful hands and feet. After 11 months had nasal congestion, sore throat, headaches and cough that have lasted 4 months with no relief. They start to get a little better then get worse after injection but provider refuses to admit is xolair causing it. I am considering dropping xolair to see if hives are gone and unfortunately the only guidance on discontinuing is from John Hopkins in that it wears off in 6 to 12 months and has not cured hives. Hopefully my body has when I stopped. I believe this is a big money maker for my provider who charges me $250 just to give an injection. Thankfully I have the Genentech/Novartis $5 copay for injection cost and xolair cost."

• Abbas...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 7, 2015

"Urticaria:- I m 34 yrs old Indian male and working in UAE for past 3 yrs. Suddenly one day I developed hives and swelling on my lip then consulted a dermatologist and started to live with antihistamine tablet called Lezine. All three reports blood, urine and stool were normal But these hives used to come in my body almost once in a month but they were not severe once. It used to be on thighs,legs and shoulders sometime in lip. I was not able to traces the reasons. I did a Ige component test it was expensive however this was also normal. Today I finally planned to go on Xolair injection took 2 shots same time I.e 300 ml thank god my insurance approved this expensive injection. I will update you guys accordingly the effect."

• daryian
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 22, 2024

"This medication is a miracle for MCAS. How much I itched even while taking 6 Allegra-D, 2 Singulair, and 2 Pepcid was making me miserable. 10 pills every day and still I was covered in hives and rashes daily. It took 2 rounds to fully work, but I would say Xolair fixes 95% of the issue. 5% left is starting reactions to my major triggers which is better than I ever expected. I have zero side effects except minor soreness at injection site for up to 24 hours."

• LBano
• March 19, 2021

"I had severe hives, all over my body for 4 months, before starting Xolair treatments. The hives started clearing up within a week of receiving my first dose. I have a few days of headache, fatigue, feeling feverish- after the injections. It's 100% worth it, though."

• Despoir
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 31, 2018

"I have had another appointment but with no effect on histamine intolerance. I am on my second dose BUT things still are getting worse . Why should I need to still take my previous preventive pills if xolair is suppose to work. It is not working, sorry!"

• Obi
• January 12, 2020

"I took Xolair for over 1 year; at times I would get hives. My issue : I still had to take Zyrtec. Allegra, singular Zantac benadryl at least 2 some time 3 . I use to have lip swelling and that definitely improved: However my last shot was Dec 6 . Our insurance change so I have not had a Jan shot and this morning I have broken out again. My problem with the shot if 3 or pills work why pay so much for. I have had hives 29 years ."

• Kris...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2018

"I had chronic hives for almost 5 years and nothing worked. I was ready to totally break down and knew xolair was my last hope! Had my first shot a month ago and have had no hives no edema no itching and lots of smiles and am feeling like me again!! Do whatever it takes to get this med if you are at the end of your rope. Only side effect has been dental pain which has been way more manageable! Forever grateful for xolair!!"

• Mary
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 4, 2020

"Helps a great deal when pharmacy will ship it on time. However, for those who have a problem with hives, look into mast cell activation disorder. Particularly if there are other symptoms that may seem unrelated."

• Amanda
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 25, 2018

"Was diagnosed with chronic urticaria 4 months ago with no signs of relief. Once the shot kicked in after a few days the breakout periods extended. I haven't had the hives which is great as they covered from head to toe but I still suffer from lips and face swelling up like balloons every week or so. Hopefully my next shot will fix that! Experienced NO side effects at all."

• Ms Pa...
• December 21, 2016

"I'm getting my first Xolair shot today. Currently I am covered in hives from head to toe, itching severely. My last hive out break was in June 2016 and they went away after 6 weeks on their own. I'm unresponsive to all the medication, prednisone, zyrtec, ranitidine, singular, gabapentin (for itching) hydroxyzine, Benadryl. I take them all when I have a flare up. I'm absolutely miserable and call my allergy specialist daily. This current flare up has been going for a few days and I had some xolair waiting for me in the office since June. I'm excited that this may be the cure that I need to prevent this misery. Will keep you posted."

• Asia
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 22, 2023

"in 2022 summer my hives started popping up every other week or so and I would only get hives where my clothing was pressing the most on my skin, like the knot that you tie behind your next from a halter top. After three months of what were hives every other two weeks or so in isolated areas, they grew to palm sized hives randomly throughout the day, all day, from my scalp down to my feet. I couldn't leave my house, I could not put clothing on, sleep comfortably, cuddle my animals or even move without extreme itching and pain. I was eventually diagnosed with chronic urticaria and prescribed Xolair in Dec 2022. It is now Nov 2023 and I am taking the shot every 6-8 weeks and my life has drastically changed. I am thankful for this drug and the Genetech foundation who aids in making this drug accessible to me ever since I was laid off."

• dinler
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 5, 2021

"Works very well for chronic hives. As a treatment I rate it a "9". With the first two injections I saw immediate improvement. For cost I rate it a "1". The monthly co-pay for the prescription with Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO is $2273.54 thru the Walgreens Alliance RX pharmacy the BCBS policy requires us to use. The co-pay does not apply to my annual total out of pocket limit. Physician's service for administering the injections is not included in the co-pay billing for the prescription. $27,282.48 annually as a co-pay for Xolair is out of reach of the majority of Americans, including me. While it has significantly improved my health, I have to discontinue using Xolair due to cost. Blue Cross Blue Shield does not cover Xolair. Check with your insurance company before considering using"

• Vculp...
• November 22, 2017

"I am 52 yrs old. On xolair for 3 yrs. I get 2 injections every 4 wks. The shot is painful because the medicine is thick, but having the shot injected at the back of my arm has helped. I've had hives since I was 17. I've been on most of all kinds of allergy medicines. I was on benedryl before it was OTC. I've had lips and eyes swell to beyond recognitions. I've had swollen hands and feet and have waken up in the middle of the night with hives from head to foot. Prednisone was the only thing that has helped before xolair. Insurance companies are a pain though. I missed my last dose waiting on insurance who wants to make sure the other meds won't work. With the missed dose and the appearance of hives I think xolair works."

• Abeer
• April 10, 2018

"I suffer from Urticaria for 11 months and I had my 1st xolair injection last month and I am going to take the 2nd in few days. I suffer from joint and muscle pain even before I had my xolair medication and it is still there, I can say that I am feeling better especially with the hives and the rash although they appear, but, still they are not severe as before. I hope that better results are seen with my coming injections."

• Noca
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 11, 2018

"I take 450mg of Xolair injections every 4 weeks and while it starts to work within 24 hours at this dose, it starts to wear off at week 3. My government won't pay for more than 450mg every 4 weeks, would have been nice to have had 300mg every 2 weeks but oh well. I still have to rely on a total of 5 other meds besides Xolair to control my severe chronic urticaria including zrytec, benadryl, naltrexone, doxepin and singular."

• Lou
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 29, 2020

"21 yr M with Idiopathic Angioedema -swelling of hands, feet, intestines, tongue, throat, face First administration of Xolair was in 2016, side effects were minimal, minor flushing in face and hands. 300 mg every 4 weeks, I've had maybe 3 small flares since my first injection. Diet, exercise and lifestyle changes have also helped my condition."

• CMSTN
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 15, 2017

"I have been getting 2 injections once a month for almost two years now. Before the doctor diagnosed me as having Chronic Urticaria with Angioedema, I went into anaphylactic shock 3 times in a month. Xolair has made a huge difference for me. I have not had any hives since I started getting Xolair injections. My big issue is my insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN) requires me to go to a different office within a group in order for them to cover the cost of injections. Every time I have gone to this other office I end up with a hard spot at injection site with major bruising. It is very frustrating. Still outweighs the horrendous hives."

• Ms It...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 2, 2019

"I have had CIU (chronic idiopathic urticaria) once before in the past about 10 years ago. I can't remember how long I had had it but I woke up one day and it was gone. In June this year I noticed I was itching more than normal and my nightmare CIU was back. Needless to say I still have it and It is worst. I have had 3-4 shots of Xolair and I have no results yet, The shots them hurt and I hope and the end of the day it's worth it."

• Nat
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2022

"My 13 year old daughter suddenly broke out with chronic hives, basically covering every part of her body daily. After 4 months with not one day not covered, our immunologist got her into Xolair (2 x 150). Thank goodness after the 3rd dose (monthly), it worked and she’s been hive free ever since. She had her 4th dose last week & it’s changed her life (thank goodness). She will continue on this dose for several months and will then look to increase the period between doses (to 5 weeks etc). Thank goodness in Australia it’s covered by the PBS. I highly recommend this product. I have written my comments because like so many I was constantly reading reviews etc."

• Itchy...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 30, 2019

"Worked for about 9 months as long as it was given every 2 weeks on time. It is difficult to get the medication delivered to Dr office consistently though. Follow-up testing needs to be done for possible adverse effects."

• Sofia...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 29, 2022

"I first got my Xolair shot in June 2022, within 3 weeks I would say I started seeing a huge difference! Right until my second shot I was completely free from hives! I have struggled with this for many years (5-6yrs) its been so draining for me, thankfully this has helped and my insurance covered it! I recommend xolair."