allergy shots?

[ginny]

Hi all, I have been experiencing increased seasonal allergies for the past four years or so. I guess allergies get worse in one's 30s? Anyhoo... I finally went to an allergist and had a skin scratch test. Also, I went to my regular physician and have been diagnosed with my fourth sinus infection in six months! The reason I finally went to see both docs was a week long headache that just wouldn't go away.

Results: I'm allergic to just about every grass, weed and tree that grows. I am not allergic to my dogs (hallelujah!), am slightly allergic to my horse. Not allergic to any molds but one (can't remember which), slightly allergic to corn and soybeans. The grass/weed/tree allergies were huge. The weels (bumps) were about 40mm and the redness was 50+ (I guess the top of the redness scale).

My questions: I am on antibiotics, currently on a huge dose of pred to get over the inflammation to try to kick this headache, they want me on allergy meds year round (singulair and allegra), an inhaler as needed, and ... they suggest allergy shots. I haven't checked with my insurance co yet, but this seems like a HUGE committment! Two shots per week for a few months then taper but shots for 3-5 years (?) - does anyone have any suggestions here for alternate treatments (not so into woo woo magic, but maybe accupuncture?) - does anyone have any allergy shot insights? Other ideas for managing my misery?

Thanks!

[indysteel]

I have similar allergy problems (and mine have gotten worse in my 30s) and am getting by on Allegra and an inhaler. If they get much worse, however, I'd consider shots. You might just try to the Singular/Allegra/inhaler combo and see if it works. I haven't had a sinus infection from the for a while, but I feel your pain. It's awful. My eyes--especially when I ride--have been the worse. I know of others who have tried accupuncture for a variety of problems, but it seems like a big commitment as well.

[Cataboo]

My youngest brother maybe when he was 6 or 7 had allergy shots for about a year when he started having bad allergies.

He never had allergies again.

My 2nd youngest brother had pretty bad allergies, which culminated in a 3 month long course of hives one spring/summer, at which point he started allergy shots for about a year - since he was basically allergic to everything inside & outside... and then he just didn't feel like going anymore & didn't... He still has allergies, but they're controlled by allergra or claritin and previously they weren't.

basically... allergies have a tendancy to spiral out of control... (I could bore you with the immunology, but... ), so allergy shots are a good idea, and hopefully they'll work and you won't need all these meds.

[SJCzar]

There seems to be quite a wide range of opinions from patients and doctors on whether allergy shots do any good, or if they are just a complete waste of time and money.

My daughter did a program similar to the one you described and they were very effective for her. That was probably around 10 years ago and while she still has occassional seasonal allergy symtoms they are never anything like she experienced when she was young. She will go back on prescription allergy meds now and then when she feels like she's bothered by them, but that's pretty rare.

My sister did the allergy shots as well and had great success too but after about 5 years of being almost allergy free it all came back. She went in for shots again and they didn't help much at all the 2nd time around.

The medical insurance we had at the time covered all my daughter's shots with a very small copay.

[OakLeaf]

Allergy shots changed my life. Literally. Probably saved my life, considering the stress that allergic reaction puts on the body.

The only thing to be sure of is that your doctor titrates the antigens individually for you. I would think that every doctor would, in this day and age, but it never hurts to be sure.

If they'll let you give yourself your shots once you're stabilized on a maintenance dose, the long-term commitment is minimal. Yes it's a PITA to get tested and stabilized, but it is SO worth it if you're debilitated by allergies. Medications just don't deal with all the symptoms, and of course being on medication long-term has risks, however slight. Honestly, immunotherapy is the only medical treatment that I'd recommend without qualification.

The other thing is to make sure you investigate food allergies. The tendency toward allergies is innate, particular allergies are developed through exposure, so if you're allergic to multiple inhalants you're likely allergic to foods as well (particularly grains, since you have a lot of pollen allergies). Without being strict about my diet, simply being able to manage my allergic load when the inhalant levels are high, gives me another level of control over my symptoms.

[ginny]

thanks ladies! Yes, the 'serum" would be individually mixed for me. No, they don't let you do the shots yourself anymore (at least here). Nope, the meds don't control the allergies... they make it so I can go to work... I guess I'll call the insurance co and get the 411... Does this all make me a commitment phobe?

[Possegal]

I did the allergy shot thing twice in my life. First round started when I was 3, or so they tell me. Dust and molds. Second one was maybe from 12 to 16 and that was for grass. Cleared up those allergies just fine. It was just sort of always a way of life with me and my parents never skipped a shot! I am glad those allergies are gone, doesn't mean I don't still have others. But the grass allergy was horrendous when I was a kid, my whole body was covered with a rash most of the spring and summer.

Also took allergy shots for poison ivy. Those were every wednesday during the month of March and I've never had anything hurt so bad! Which is neither here nor there but thought I would toss it in.

And my favorite of my list of "positives" was JUNE. My mother said to the doctor, what is this. He said "a month". She said - wait a second, so my daughter is allergic to the month of June? He said, YEP. She looked at me and said, guess you stay indoors during June. Funny lady, my mother was.

I could go on and on and on with my allergy stories. But I'll spare you all......

[Eden]

It took me until my 30's to realize that I had seasonal allergies... I am sensitive to several things - a couple of tree pollens, grass pollen, dust mites and cats, but really only have symptoms when the trees are blooming, so I'm only really bad for a few weeks out of the year usually.

I'm with Indy - I use allegra and singulair and at the worst times for me I use a nasal spray (flonase) and it works quite well. One of the docs I work with told me singulair does a good job with allergies (but not so much for asthma, which it was actually developed for....) - but only when combined with an anithistimine, so don't bother taking it alone.

[badgercat]

I did allergy shots for about 5 years, starting with once a week when I was 10, and tapering off to once a month by the time I was 15. I used to live in the Midwest, and had horrible allergies in autumn--ragweed season was complete misery for me, to the point that no matter what drugs I took (for a while I was on a twice-daily oral antihistamine PLUS a daily nasal spray), my nose basically didn't function...which made getting the nasal spray up in my sinuses an interesting chore.

Were the shots a PITA? Of course. Who wants to get shot up with stuff that makes your arm swell and itch once a week? But I'd ABSOLUTELY do it again. I was able to stop using prescription allergy meds many years ago and while I still sneezed a bit more in autumn, I only felt the need to pop an over-the-counter Claritin maybe a handful of times over the course of my entire allergy season. Unfortunately, I have problems in the spring now instead of the fall, but I moved to a completely different region (desert Southwest) and I'm sure there are just different plants to deal with here that I probably wasn't even tested for let alone given shots for. My current issues I'm also able to control with an occasional pill.

[Pax]

I'm 1.5 years into my shots and they have made a HUGE difference in my quality of life. Without them I wouldn't be able to keep my job (I'm big time allergic to paper mold and I work in an old library).

That said, they are a huge pain in the rear.

[makbike]

I've been taking allergy shots for over 15 years now (once a week). I now only have very minor flaw ups in the spring and fall. I typically have one bad sinus infection each year (beat the constant one I keep for years). I also take Allegra and Singulaire on a daily basis as well as using two inhalers for my asthma.

[ginny]

yes, everything I have read and heard here confirms what the doc said: immunotherapy works! I looked into the insurance thing, and my health care just isn't what it was at the university... alas, I think I'll have to wait... thanks for the input and thoughts, all!

[Melalvai]

Consider allergy drops too. I managed to control my allergies for a few years with Allegra, but I could tell it was getting less effective, and finally went to an allergist to talk about shots. He talked me into doing drops.

They are the same sort of thing as shots, only delivered in the form of drops under your tongue. You hold the drops in your mouth for two minutes every morning and it is absorbed into the floor of your mouth.

Insurance doesn't pay for it because it's considered experimental, though it's been used in Europe as long as we've used shots. For me shots would come with a co-pay and so drops were only slightly more expensive ($40/mth).

As far as whether it works, he told me in his experience it is more effective in his patients than shots (and he uses them himself). I only just started them this year but it seems to help. When the juniper was in bloom it got bad and I took Allegra for a couple weeks. Otherwise I've been doing fine without Allegra.

[ginny]

good idea regarding the drops: I could afford $40/mo, but with a $500 copay and then only 80% of the shots covered and where does the office visit cost fall into the whole thing??? Good grief! I will ask about the drops...

[Aint Doody]

Oakleaf and I could be the same person. I'm another big believer who had allergy shots change her life. But I'd ask again about giving your own shots once you're at the maintenance level. I was allergic to so many things that I had 4 vials/4 shots. I just kept the vials and syringes at work in the cooler, and gave them to myself after maintenance was achieved. The only caveat was that you had to have somebody with you for 20 minutes after administering the shots in case you had a reaction. As my husband and I have a retail business, it was easier to do it at work where we are chained for hours on end each day!

I've also heard of people who said they didn't help them. Who knows? Maybe they weren't as vigilant with the therapy.