So, yes, I'm a newbie. 27 yr old female with asthma and allergies since I was little. In the last 2 years, my asthma has gotten progressively worse. This year, I started fresh with a brand new asthma/allergy specialist and we finally started to get my asthma under control. I went from a peak flow of 450 to 575 in just a couple months with medication changes! This was all great until 2 1/2 weeks ago when I got a cold and I quickly spiraled downhill and now I'm struggling to get back to where I was.
Two Questions/Situations:
1. This past year, I have had two very severe asthma flares which have resulted in multiple ED visits and a hospitalization. Never been intubated. During this current flare, I haven't been responding as well or as quickly to the typical treatments that we've used in the past. For the most part, per my asthma specialist, I was maxed out on medications. Two weeks ago when I felt myself going downhill, I went to Urgent Care (regular doctor was closed, avoiding ED) and had a chest xray done which showed "nipple shadows project over the lower lung fields". I'm curious to know if this could be pneumonia or something else....I periodically still have a low grade fever and I'm totally exhausted. Been on Augmentin for the past 10 days. Per asthma specialist, I am a "labile asthmatic" and I don't wheeze hardly at all. I either start coughing and then quickly my lungs become tight or just go straight to being super tight.
2. Thoughts on Xolair? Too labile to be considered for traditional immunotherapy and maxed out on oral/inhaled medications to maintain asthma control. If you've been on it, has it been helpful? Side Effects? My IgE level was around 11, not high enough to qualify but that was when I was on oral and inhaled steroids for the previous 2 months. MD is going to re-check it in 6 weeks or so to see if I qualify. I appreciate your feedback....