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Teresa, Volunteer Mentor avatar

Has anyone taken Biologics?

Asthma & Allergy | Last Active: 4 days ago | Replies (44)

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Profile picture for pht1123 @pht1123

Hi Everyone -
I am only speaking from my personal experiences and not telling you what to do - as this is between you and your provider.
I am asthmatic for 60 years - with quiet times as well as exacerbations. (The last 10 years have been more difficult.) I am a steroid dependent asthmatic with other health issues from the medications of all these years. I was on Xolair for about 15 years - which was one of the first biologics. It helped tremendously, but is now being used as a biologic to help with food allergies in children. I was on Singulair (and Accolate - very similar), but it is really being used as an allergy medicine now.
After Xolair, the choice was either Tezpire or Dupixent. We had opted for Tezpire, as it was the newest and had a different route in the body to help. For me, Tezpire worked only 6 weeks, and I got progressively sicker (hospitalized). I then switched to Dupixent - which thankfully, has been a tremendous help for me (on it about 2 years). Biologics can take up to 14 weeks before they kick in - so please give whichever one you use, time to work in your system. I do not have experience with other biologics.
Regarding Prednisone - it is a great medication to help with the asthma - but has numerous side effects on the whole body - not just the lungs. Be careful, and work closely with your provider. Trelogy is relatively new - triple medication - but if you are allergic to milk - it may not be good for you. Breiztri is good, but also be aware of side effects from everything and READ! (This also can cause visual changes.) Many use a steroid inhaler as maintenance medication.
Nebulizers can help - albuterol as needed per your provider, as well as Brovana (Arformoterol Tartrate) which is a long acting type of albuterol in nebulizer. There are many different nebulizer medications which can be helpful.
Asthma can also be confused with other respiratory conditions - including obstructive sleep apnea as well as cardiac conditions (congestive heart failure) or other heart problems.
Read everything, work closely with your provider and do not do "over the counter" preparations on your own (Primatine Mist - which can rapidly increase heartrate).
Magnesium supplements do help as well. Try to stay hydrated as medically allowed and keep an asthma diary of your symptoms as well as what is helping to alleviate the symptoms. You must advocate for yourself, but be open to reading and discussing what will be your best course to feel better. Good luck!

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Replies to "Hi Everyone - I am only speaking from my personal experiences and not telling you what..."

I really appreciate you sharing your experiences with biologics and other medications you have used for a rather long history of asthma, @pht1123. You have provided some great information, especially about biologics needing 14 weeks before any improvement is shown. I would not have thought the time period to be that long.

Do you practice any other breathing therapies? Have you found any specific allergies that trigger your asthma?