Systemic Reactions to Allergens
Most of us struggle with allergies to some extent. Symptoms can range from a mild irritation to full body reactions. The only thing worse that dealing with this ourselves is having a child who suffers from these symptoms.
My 13 year old daughter has always had severe seasonal allergies; as a young child, there were days she would go lie down and cry when her allergies would flare. On high pollen days, her nose would run constantly, and her eyes would itch and become incredibly irritated. By sixth grade, she developed asthma. We tried allergy shots; an injection in each arm with increasing amounts of serum each time. Yet, by the fourth or fifth injection, her left arm would swell severely, and she was thrown into a severe asthma flare. We started over several times, but to no avail. Every time we got to the fourth or fifth round, the reaction became worse. Finally, we decided the shots were doing more harm than good, so we stopped.
The asthma flares have continued, and her allergies continue to worsen. She has been hospitalized twice this year for asthma complications. She has missed more than 30 days of school this semester, and her reaction to allergens has changed. Exposure to outside air when pollens are high now causes a systemic reaction in my daughter. She first breaks out in a rash all over her body; within minutes of the presentation of the rash, her breathing is affected, her joints begin to lock up, and she suffers from a migraine.
We immediately treat her with prescription anti-histimines, advil, and her rescue inhalers. And she crawls into bed … for four to five days! These systemic reactions are scary. During the first couple of days, she has trouble holding a cup, walking to the restroom, or doing anything other than sleeping. Her entire body hurts; she has no energy, and nothing seems to help. We begin to see improvements over the next two to three days; her appetite picks up, she spends some time interacting, and she sleeps less. By about the fifth day after a reaction like this, she is able to function again; she returns to school, and she becomes a fairly active teen again … She enjoys a few days, and then … another reaction.
Her immunologist received permission for my daughter to begin Xolair injections. This medication is very expensive and is used in the most severe cases of allergies and asthma. We are receiving assistance from the National Chronic Disease Fund for this medicine. As this medication builds in the body, it blocks the histamine response to allergens. Her dr is very hopeful that she will respond well to these injections. She will receive two large injections of this very thick medication every four weeks for several years. And guess what … she had her best week in a very long time after her first injections! We go for her 2nd round next Monday; if her last response is any indication, we are very encouraged about the benefits Xolair may offer her!
Now, if her specialists can only find something to help her other conditions as much … chronic nerve pain, migraines, seizures, joint and muscle issues … she takes several medications that help in varying degrees. Our hope is that getting the allergies and asthma under control will make a difference in her other conditions. And if this happens … she will make it to school consistently again, and mom’s stress level will go down significantly!!
Please see http://www.helpforchronicallyill.com – health information, for more information on allergies and asthma.
Leave a Reply