allergy shots?

[msincredible]

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.

[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. 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.

[malkin]

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.

[Possegal]

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.

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?

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

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.

[lo123]

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.

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.