Allergy specialist in Birmingham? And Anyone used Xolair injections?

[wineandgarden]

My lovely boy has been anaphylactically allergic to tree nuts and this forum was such a help to us when we were really going through the mill, thank you.
He's now 21, still anaphylactically allergic but now carries his epi pens and uses them himself and is really great at dealing with his allergies.
I think it would be good for him to undergo new testing. He's at uni near Coventry so maybe best an allergy specialist in Birmingham? Can anyone recommend one? Immunologist please, not a dermatologist.
I'm wondering if the Xolair would be good for him too? Before he does some gap year travel.

All advise would be brilliant, thank you!

I've been on Xolair for almost 10 years for my asthma. I have 4 injections every other week and it's been literally life changing. It costs the NHS a fortune so isn't easy to get on to but it's certainly been worth it for me.

I'm not sure if just having it for a year would be doable - in my case it's almost certainly going to be life long but I'm sure every case is different.

Definitely worth looking in to!

Husband, who worked on the development of Xolair before he retired in 2018, tells me that it has just been approved by the United Stated Food and Drug Administration for "IgE-mediated food allergy in adult and pediatric patients age one year and older for the reduction of allergic reactions (Type I) including anaphylaxis that may occur with accidental exposure to one or more foods. To be used in conjunction with food allergens avoidance." In other words, if his allergy is IgE-mediated (most allergies are) then it should work but it's not yet licensed for this in the UK. It is, as has been commented, very expensive so you may struggle to get it prescribed, especially off UK label.
In UK it is licensed for allergic asthma, nasal polyps and chronic spontaneous urticaria so if he happens to have any of those it could be prescribed for that and should help with the anaphylaxis risk as well. Good luck!

I'm on Xolair for cholinergic and spontaneous urticaria and it's been life changing

Gone from not being able to walk, wear a coat or have a hot bath to loving summer and playing netball

Just read the comments to my husband. He says that from someone who has spent a good proportion of his career working on Xolair it means so much to hear that makes a real difference to patients' lives.

My dd has spontaneous urticaria and she is starting on this next week after a very long road. Hers has affected the skin around her eyes and in October and again in January it was so bad that she couldn't see at all for weeks on end. As well as being in significant pain. It's been absolutely bloody awful so it's so wonderful to hear that it's made a difference to you. We are counting the days until she starts it.

And of course thank you to your husband @ashiningbeaconinspace for his work on it

@LetticeSlay I started with it 28 years ago
This is before Xolair, after a night out dancing
And with Xolair, after a 60 min spin class

The only side effect I get is a very mild headache
After a hot bath I was getting dressed feeling like I have forgotten something, only to realise it was the fact I wasn't prickling, itching, covered in hives or anything

@ashiningbeaconinspace please say a big thank you to your husband for all his work. Xolair has given me my life back.

That's absolutely phenomenal. The spontaneous thing is so frustrating! It's so difficult to plan anything as there is no damn trigger!

Mine is mostly cholinergic which technically it's not approved for but my consultant is one for bending rules. He did warn me it might not work for that side of it but he said I've had the best results he's ever seen with hives from heat/exercise

Also tell your DH I’m on it officially for Chronic spontaneous idiopathic urticaria, but I have MCAS. Game changing. Before I would react to sunlight and the lights in shopping centres. I can now pretty much eat a normal diet again. I also believe it rescued me post covid from getting long covid. I would feel better the days after the injections and it always took 3 cycles to hold again after each covid epsiode.
So I am hugely thankful for his work. I would downsize my house to keep paying for it privately if it stopped being on the nhs. It’s changed my life that much.

This has turned into a wonderfully unexpected thread.

Although the actual OP hasn't been answered.