allergy shots?

Mine also changed my quality of life. I too was allergic to pretty much every kind of tree, weed, grass, as well as dust and dust mites and a few other odds and ends.

I went from feeling like I constantly had a cold, no sense of smell, frequent sinus infections, couldn't go anywhere without a wad of kleenex, etc., to being completely medication-free and able to breathe freely.

It is a huge burden at first but once you get into maintenance it is pretty easy.

I can't imagine my allergist ever letting people give themselves their own shots...the liability in case of a systemic reaction would be huge. I did once have a systemic reaction and it would have REALLY sucked if I hadn't been in their office.

I have had allergy shots 3 times in my life: as a young child, in high school, and again in my 30s. I quit each time because I had a quasi-reaction asthma like attack every time I had a shot. I would just generally feel like crap afterwards. My allergies are mostly dust and molds; a few lifestyle changes and moving out of the desert has pretty much cured me. Once in awhile when the pollen count is high with tree stuff, it bothers me.
On the other hand, my older son's life was saved pretty much by the shots. He had continual ear and throat infections, and couldn't even go out on the playground without getting seriously ill. He had the shots for 2-3 years in preschool and had his tonsils removed and is a very healthy adult.

I went to an allergist last year, and I will love him forever. Filling out the medical history was almost as complicated as writing my master's thesis, but the guy was great, except that when he was looking up my nose with the scope, and he stated, "typical allergic nose" which was kind of embarassing.

In the end though, he gave me suggestions about manipulating some OTC stuff (cheap!) and gave me samples of 2 different nose sprays, one antihistamine (which didn't do anything for me) and one steroid (which I'm sure is performance enhancing on my bike-and also, when I use it I can breathe and not be sick).

Because of my detailed description of how my throat feels in allergic moments, the allergist also referred me to an ENT who scoped me (up the nose and down the throat) and gagged me (medically, with his scope, not in a kinky way) and pronounced me normal. This I believe is probably just recompense for having referred hoarse voice patients to ENT to rule out pathology. (He was very professional and handed me a tissue and mostly ignored it when I sort of puked on his chair.)

I'd highly recommend seeing a specialist and following his or her recommendations.

:eek:
I have the same allergy problem. I have been getting shots for 24 years. I cannot stop the treatment. Nothing abates the allergies, but the shots, the medicine -- XYZAL -- the nose spray (ASTELIN) -- and the occasional little red pills (2 pseudophed -- OTC with driver's ID) all work together to clear the buzz upon my brain. Without allergy treatments, my nose clogs then swells up and pains me, my eyes tear, my skin feels like it will breakout into a thousand zits and my upper larynyx begins to tighten. In addition to nasal allergies, I have EIA (exercise induced asthma) and sometimes my allergies trigger upper bronchial asthma. I also have a small rescue inhaler -- albuterol that I take on bike rides, because the EIA causes unstoppable coughing spasms. I am grateful that the asthma is not in my lungs and that I do not need gigantic inhalers and inhalation therapy treatment.

My allergies include dust mites, pollens, molds (including penicillin) and yellow jacket venom. Even though I am allergic to it -- I still love my chocolate!

I have horrible allergies and am currently undergoing shots (which have been suspended until after grass season) and I have found two critical things for riding with allergies!

1) Sunglasses - keeping any outside "stuff" out of my eyes
2) Zaditor drops - recently released for OTC this LITTLE bottle is expensive - BUT you use 1 drop per eye every 12 hours and for a girl who is allergic to dust, grass, dogs, and then every tree, weed and flower pollen - I can tell you this works!!

If my shots do not work (after the $800 out of pocket cost) I will scream! They worked for my brother for 30 years - so I'm hopeful - then this grass season will be well worth it!

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Originally Posted by malkin

the guy was great, except that when he was looking up my nose with the scope, and he stated, "typical allergic nose" which was kind of embarassing.

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I had an ENT last month, after the camera up my nose, tell me that I had without a doubt the smallest nostrils she had ever seen in her whole career. Then she said "how do you breathe with those"? Which now has me paranoid about how much air are the rest of you all getting compared to me? :)

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Originally Posted by malkin

He was very professional and handed me a tissue and mostly ignored it when I sort of puked on his chair

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My sister was at the ENT recently due to a tonsil lighting up on a PET scan for surveillance of her cancer. He didn't bat an eye when he was actually palpating the tonsil and she threw up on him. :) He told her it was just her body's way of telling him to get his hand out of her mouth.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

I have had allergy shots 3 times in my life: as a young child, in high school, and again in my 30s. I quit each time because I had a quasi-reaction asthma like attack every time I had a shot. I would just generally feel like crap afterwards.

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Same thing here, except I have severe asthma in addition to really bad allergies, so I'd have a MAJOR reaction every time I got a shot once I got to a certain level of serum. Let's just say after you get severe reactions a few times, it's just not worth it. My mother has had the same experiences in her 3 times with immunotherapy.

So, for some people it doesn't work. That said, I say give it a try... If I knew I could take the shots and survive without my 6 allergy/asthma meds, I'd do it in a heartbeat.