http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/13669413.htm
Shares of Dynavax Technologies soared Thursday, after the
Berkeley pharmaceutical company said its ragweed allergy
drug, Tolamba, met primary efficacy and safety endpoints in
a clinical trial. Dynavax stock rose $1.48, or 34 percent,
to close at $5.83 Thursday on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Just what we need, a different drug for each allergy. Is there any
possible justification for a special drug for ragweed allergy?

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Alison Chaiken "From:" address above is valid.
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Sheri - 21 Jan 2006 15:25 GMT
as a sufferer of ragweed... as well as asthma I would say yes. It seems
that most other allergy meds do not work well for ragweed. I have
several severe asthma attacks during ragweed season so if this works
well against ragweed I am all for it! (I know.. I'm about to start a
flame war here with the people who believe in treating asthma without
drugs.... so be it. I use both medical and "non" medial means to treat
my asthma and lead a fairly normal life. )
> http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/13669413.htm
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Just what we need, a different drug for each allergy. Is there any
> possible justification for a special drug for ragweed allergy?
Alison Chaiken - 21 Jan 2006 17:13 GMT
I wrote:
>> Is there any possible justification for a special drug for ragweed
>> allergy?
> as a sufferer of ragweed... as well as asthma I would say yes. It
> seems that most other allergy meds do not work well for ragweed.
But isn't that just because ragweed allergy is a worse allergy? Or
is it really different somehow?
> if this works well against ragweed I am all for it!
Of course.

Signature
Alison Chaiken "From:" address above is valid.
(650) 236-2231 [daytime] http://www.wsrcc.com/alison/
Waging a war is simple, but running a country is very difficult.
-- Pham Van Dong, first prime minister of unified Vietnam, 1976
Sheri - 22 Jan 2006 01:28 GMT
I'm not sure if it's worse.. or just different... but I do know that it
does not respond to the drugs that I use for other allergies as well as
those drugs work for my allergies... (not sure that made sense!!
lol).... I am even more allergic to cats than ragweed.... to the point
that prolonged contact with a cat (more than 15 minutes) could actually
kill me.... but I can take my allgery meds for that and it works better
than when I take the same meds during ragweed season. It's almost a
given that I will end up in the ER during ragweed season because of my
asthma.. and that's just about the only time of the year I have to
go....
> I wrote:
> >> Is there any possible justification for a special drug for ragweed
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Of course.
windwatcher - 24 Jan 2006 02:12 GMT
I've been using fish oil every day, and it's helped my asthma more than
usual. Have been in hospital ICU 6 years ago several times with severe
attacks. I now have cats in the house. Sugar-free diet, low carbs,
very little juice or soda, eat lots of fruits and vegetables. For past
four years using advair and zyrtec and singulair which prevent Major
but not minor difficulties daily: ragweed still a major problem. I
will see how the fish oil has or has no effect on the ragweed allergy.
Nasocort (triamcinolone acetonide) spray for post nasal drip almost
daily which caused the most problems dripping into my lungs. Evening
primrose or flax oil, I've been told, will help: rotate with the fish
oil. Also, fish oil if you don't get enough vitamin D which apparently
most of us do Not, if we don't spend ten minutes outdoors daily.
Exercise and water and teas to keep the circulation and flush the
allergens out of the air passages.
Grandmother in the 1930's ate large quantities of lettuce and drank a
tea made from an onion slice in a cup of boiling water.