Experiences with Allergy Shots?

[Staceyshoe]

If you have experience doing de-sensitization shots to improve environmental allergies, I would love to hear about your experience---both the treatment itself and the effectiveness (whether positive or negative).  Thanks!

[Myra]

We did the shots for six months.  Each time his arm had a half a tennis ball reaction/swelling at the injection site so we had to wait an extra hour to make sure no further reaction.  Meanwhile, others came in, got their shots, and left bragging how their allergies were lessening!  The end result - absolutely no desensitization or reduction of allergies and/or symptoms and allergist/doctor said to discontinue them at that time.

 

Myra

[marbel]

My kids have been getting shots for about 2 1/2 years.  Our allergist said it is a long process; she cautioned us that we would likely not see results within the first year (for us, the first allergy season after starting the shots).  It took almost two years to really see relief.  But, this summer has been much better than previous years.

 

Each of my kids had one reaction requiring an epi-pen injection and visit to the ER.   (No one ever had breathing distress, but swelling and hives.)  Otherwise, it has been a good experience for us.  If we go the full course, we have 2 1/2 years to go.  It is not fun, particularly during the buildup phase when we have to go once a week. (That happens twice a year.)  The monthly shots are not a big deal anymore.  We take books and music, try to make the best use of the time.  It helps that the allergist is only a 10-minute drive away, and they are extremely efficient.  I can only remember one time we had an extended wait because they were short-handed.

[Lolly]

Dh had them ages ago. They made a huge difference in his life. As in, he can go outside and not be absolutely miserable.

 

Dd22 had them for a couple of years when she was little, like 4 or 5. She was doing really well with them, and we were seeing improvements in her allergies. Then, she started reacting strongly to the shots (increased swelling/behavior afterwards). eventually, we were having to drag her out from under the furniture to give her the shots. I was having to restrain her on my lap while three additional nurses helped to give her a shot. She took them easily/well for over a year. We gave them up at that point.There were no lasting benefits. All improvements were gone within a year of stopping treatment.

[KrissiK]

Been on them for 11 years. According to testing, all the things I was allergic to 11 years ago I am no longer allergic to. But I still feel like carp, so I must be allergic to other things. Personally, I think this whole allergy shot thing is just a big racket.

[Wildcat]

I was on them for 5 1/2 years. I did "rush" therapy which was one very long day (in the doctor's office) of 6 months' worth of shots to get a head start, then it was once a week for however long, then every two weeks, then once a month for the remainder. I felt better within a few months. I have been off them for about six years now and still feel fine, even though I was warned that they only 'last' for about five years because allergies are in constant flux.

 

My allergist told me that the degree of success depends on what a person is allergic to and the severity.

 

If my allergies come back or change, I wouldn't hesitate to get them again. In fact, I have been trying to convince my dc to get them, but they refuse because, shots. :glare:

 

Europe has been using sublingual drops for a few decades now. There is no one in my area who does the drops, which is a bummer.

[scholastica]

I did them for a few years with two different allergists and they did nothing but cause a reaction every single time. My allergies are just as bad as before I had them.

[LinRTX]

My husband has been on them for years. His allergies are so bad that he still gets weekly shots and probably always will. But with the shots life is good. Without, he is miserable -- sometimes he went several days in a dark room because the allergies were so severe the light made his headaches unbearable. So worth it for him.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Ds has had shots for a year.  Last year he could not go outside without his face immediately swelling up and breaking out in hives.  This year he can walk home from work (not far).  He still has allergy symptoms but it is so much better.  

[WVNA]

I took them for about 3 or 4 years and stopped 10 years ago. They made a huge difference in my life. For example, I was never able to be in a house that had a cat in it before starting them. Now, I can pick up cats and pet them without any issues at all.

[Pippen]

I was highly allergic from infancy onward, and by my teens it was so severe that I had days I could hardly function. Allergy shots changed my life--seriously. It took a year before it made a small dent, and several years before I could drop most of the meds.

[JeanM]

I would say that allergy shots made a significant difference to me. I had shots once a week for about 5 years. It was easy when I started because it was a 5 minute walk to the clinic. I ended up stopping mostly because it got really difficult since I was no longer working nearby, and I had to bring ds with me. I haven't had any shots for about 14 years, but my allergies are much more manageable now. I used to take antihistamines daily for months, and even in the winter I would have issues sometimes from dust or animals. I don't take antihistamines at all now, unless the tree pollen gets really bad in the spring.

[grantmeawish]

My Ds has horrible environmental allergies and asthma. He has been receiving shots for a year and half now. He is noticeably better after shots and I can tell when it's time for another one. The down side...he has had 3 allergic reactions to the shots needing Epi pen, albuterol etc. I think the dose he is on now is good and there will be no more reactions but I'm hoping it will still be effective. We shall see

[Valley Girl]

It was inconvenient having to make the weekly trips to the doctor's office. (I did it for more than a decade). Minimal reaction to the shots themselves. However, the inconvenience and cost were well worth it because of the dramatic improvement in my quality of life. I still have symptoms occasionally, maybe because I no longer get the shots and haven't for years. But those symptoms--when they do flare up, which isn't often--now are easily managed with OTC meds. I'd definitely encourage you to talk to an allergist about it.

[Pippen]

I also meant to add that the experience of the treatment itself is going to vary greatly depending on the practice. Obviously I'd be looking for a well run office, but also consider their office hours. It is inconvenient, but it was so much easier when my doctor added early morning and Saturday morning hours. 

[MrsRobinson]

Huge improvement in quality of life for dh!! Last spring he was on zyrtec, benadryl, an acid reducer, an eye drop, and two different nasal sprays. And he'd wear a respirator every time he had to work outdoors. This year one nasal spray daily, that's it!!!

 

His allergist is in the big city an hour away but they courier his vials to his pcp's office here in our small town so its a five min drive. Otherwise it just wouldn't be feasible.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I wanted to add that ds' allergist specifically told us that immunotherapy does not work for everyone.  In fact, they had a check-up with the allergist at 6 months and again at 1 year specifically to look at how ds was doing (any improvement at all?) to decide if we should continue.  The stories of people going for years without improvement does not seem ethically right to me.

 

Also different allergists seem to handle frequency etc. differently.  Ds' allergist requires weekly shots for a certain amount of time (probably based on the severity of his allergies) and then when he is at maintenance dose, he comes in once a month.  My allergist require weekly shots even at maintenance but allows me to take the antigen home and have dh or myself administer the shots.  They do a "how to give a shot" clinic for adults to teach them how to do it.  Dh is an RN so they let him skip the clinic.  

[foxbridgeacademy]

DS starts next week.

 

 Dh did them for years as a kid and they helped a lot but he really needs to start it up again. His Dr. said he'd have to do a "re-up" for at least 6 months maybe the full course of 3 years to get any relief.

[Joules]

We did the shots for six months.  Each time his arm had a half a tennis ball reaction/swelling at the injection site so we had to wait an extra hour to make sure no further reaction.  Meanwhile, others came in, got their shots, and left bragging how their allergies were lessening!  The end result - absolutely no desensitization or reduction of allergies and/or symptoms and allergist/doctor said to discontinue them at that time.

 

Myra

 

That is similar to my reaction except at my last visit (about 5 months in) I went into anaphalytic shock and ended up in the hospital.

[marbel]

I wanted to add that ds' allergist specifically told us that immunotherapy does not work for everyone.  In fact, they had a check-up with the allergist at 6 months and again at 1 year specifically to look at how ds was doing (any improvement at all?) to decide if we should continue.  The stories of people going for years without improvement does not seem ethically right to me.

 

Also different allergists seem to handle frequency etc. differently.  Ds' allergist requires weekly shots for a certain amount of time (probably based on the severity of his allergies) and then when he is at maintenance dose, he comes in once a month.  My allergist require weekly shots even at maintenance but allows me to take the antigen home and have dh or myself administer the shots.  They do a "how to give a shot" clinic for adults to teach them how to do it.  Dh is an RN so they let him skip the clinic.  

 

My husband had allergy shots for years as a kid.  At that time, his mom was able to give them at home.   That's not an option for us now; I don't know if it's a state law or what, but it doesn't happen here.  When we started, we took our extract to the primary care doctor as their co-pay for injections was cheaper, but then even they stopped doing it and said we had to go to the allergist.

 

Convenience is important.  We can either make appointments, or go during their drop-in hours, which they offer one day  a week, from afternoon into the evening. They have extra staff around at that time.  The only bad thing about that is that it's hard to read, simply because it's more crowded with kids and thus pretty noisy.

 

[Loowit]

We started allergy shots for DS because of his frequent sinus infections and asthma flares.  The allergist was hoping that after taking allergy shots that he would improve.  We have seen a huge decrease in sinus infections, and asthma flares have decreased somewhat.  So I would say in that respect it has been worth it.  However, it has not been an easy thing.  He has had a number of bad reactions to the shots, including hives, arm swelling, but fortunately he has not required his epi-pen just a lot of benadryl.  He is at the phase where he goes in every 7-10 days, but we had to miss his last shot because he was having an allergic reaction to a bug bit, so we are behind so at his shot today they will likely have to go back a dose.  It took him about a year and a half to really get very far up into the shots to see much difference.  I think I see the shots as worth it, but they are a pain to go through.

[Ananda]

I am another allergy shot failure.  I had the huge swelling on my arm every time,  so they never got me anywhere near a maintenance dose.  If I remember correctly I had shots 3x each week several months & then weekly for over a year.  I really wish it had worked. . . 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Ours is a big clinic with branches in the greater metropolitan area.  So there are shot hours every day morning and afternoon except for Mondays.  And if you tell them ahead of time, they can give you shots at any one of the branches.  I think that is one question I would research before I chose an allergist - what kind of a set up they have for shot hours.  (Though I'm sure being in a metropolitan area means that I have more choices of allergists.)

[Pippen]

I am another allergy shot failure.  I had the huge swelling on my arm every time,  so they never got me anywhere near a maintenance dose.  If I remember correctly I had shots 3x each week several months & then weekly for over a year.  I really wish it had worked. . . 

 

The swelling happened to me also. My doctor diluted the serum with saline and adjusted the schedule to a much more gradual increase. I spent several years at a plateau before I could move on and never reached a typical maintenance dosage. 

 

The typical fast track just didn't work with me.

[lexi]

My husband had massive swelling, hives, and trouble breathing. They kept reducing the dose or stepping back one dose to try to get him used to it. It never worked. It was utterly terrifying and I'll never go through it again. Watching him collapse at home later being unable to breathe. Never ever again.

But I have friends who had great results. Don't know why it would never work for my hubby.

[cintinative]

I had them as a child (at home, like another poster mentioned) and that seemed to help a lot. My allergies came back as an adult, and finally about five years ago I sought the shots again. It started out okay but when they tried to increase the dose I went anaphylactic. They tried to reduce it a bit from there but still higher than the initial and I started to react to that as well. So that was the end of shots for me.

 

I think they do help some people but I cannot overemphasize the importance of keeping an Epi-Pen on you. My anaphylactic reaction was delayed--I was already home--alone with my kids.  It was more than 30 minutes after receiving the shot because I always waited at the office like they tell you to.

[The Girls' Mom]

My oldest dd had them for around a year.  They helped some, but she never could reach maintenance dose, and reactions were increasing rather than decreasing.  We stopped going.

 

Dh had them as a child and it put him into remission (as our allergist called it) for over 20 years.  His allergies are coming back now.  Apparently this isn't uncommon.  It was worth it for him.

 

My niece had horrible allergies and asthma.  She would end up in the hospital a couple of times a year.  She's been on the shots for around a year now, and hasn't been ER visit sick since.  Her allergies have improved immensely, and as a result her asthma has lessened.

[sheryl]

Hmmm.  Allergies are so individual, ya know.  

 

Well, I had a "scratch" test around 1986 or 1987.   I had quite a few allergies that were moderate.  At that time I took oral meds and shots. 

 

Then.....we moved from MI to a different region/state (NC) in 1990.   Needless to say that I developed new sensitivities to "things" in the region.

 

I went on shots/meds from around the early 90's to 2008.  I noticed symptoms were so minimal that my allergy dr. suggested weaning off.   It's been approximately 7 years or so and I've not had to return to shots but will take loratidin (sp?) on an as-needed basis.  It's mostly seasonal (spring and late summer/early fall). 

 

It took many years for me but I'm sure each person is unique in their response to treatment and the duration of it based on how severe or mild their allergies may be.

 

HTH!

[kbutton]

I had fantastic, life-changing results with my shots. It took a long time for me to get to a regular dose (big swelling at the injection site), but I am so glad I stuck with it. I didn't have a lot of luck with ragweed until the very end of my treatments, but other allergies started to improve in about a year or year and a half. I went just a few months longer to get more help with ragweed, and it did help.

 

You can develop additional allergies later. As I understand it, shots are supposed to help delay or prevent the onset of asthma in susceptible individuals. What you are tested for and given shots for can vary from region to region. They don't give shots for everything--a lot of pollens are airborne, but not all of them are. They only put light, airborne pollen in the shots, so you might still have to modify your environment if you plant something in your flower beds that bothers you, for instance.

 

You do really need to control the environment even with shots--if dust and dust mites are troublesome, you still need to follow protocols for reducing dust, but you might be able to be less nutty eventually. I can do a lot more than I could before and go into other people's houses for the most part (except if they have pets). 

 

My allergies came on very quickly after giving birth the first time. I'm finding that as my hormones change midlife, I'm having more random histamine weirdness, but I am still glad I had shots. If I develop new allergies over time, I would consider shots again if I had to--they were that life-changing the first time. I'm not certain I'd be alive if I hadn't had shots--my dust allergies were terrible, and I am sure I would've had my throat close up more than once by now if I hadn't had shots for it. 

 

You might also ask about supplements--my allergies are always much better when I take good quality fish oil and vitamins. I think a probiotic helps too. These supplements literally keep me off of maintenance asthma meds. If I get lazy about taking them during a bad allergy season, I will have major asthma trouble. 

[plansrme]

My daughter was on them for about six or eight months.  Some of her allergies (the pollen ones) got a little better, but I don't know if it was because of the shots or if they would just have gotten better.  We stopped because (1) she was having serious asthmatic reactions to the shots, so they would make her take Benadryl before and after which, I figured, completely nullified the shot; and (2) the allergist's office kept giving us different timelines for how often and how long we would have to go.  Originally, we were going to go twice a week for, let's say, a month, and then weekly for two months.  Well, a month came and went, and then they insisted I had two or three more months of twice-weekly shots, and of course they had never told me it would only be a month.  Whatever!  I got tired of it and figured we would revisit the issue when she was older.  She outgrew most of her allergies within a few years, and I wish I had that couple-of-thousand dollars (not to mention the time) back.  The worst allergy she had was to cats, and I always figured that was the component of the shot to which she was reacting.  It's easy enough in her life to avoid cats.

 

I personally would be much more inclined to try them with an adult than with a child.  Kids seem to grow out of so many of their inhaled allergies.  

[kbutton]

This is kind of a side thing, but I have to watch foods that can be related to plants I"m allergic too--chamomile is in the ragweed family, for instance. I also reacted to raw honey, which is kind of like getting an allergy shot, but not in a controlled way. Anyway, not everyone is counseled for food-related stuff. If you are into herbal products, you should investigate that angle. A lot of people drink herbal teas, shampoo their hair with herbal products, lotion up with herbal products, etc. All of this can be worse during the time you're on shots too.

 

 

[abacus2]

My DH also had them as a kid, but they wore off, so he is on them again. They have been very helpful. I can't remember the last time we left someone's house because he was having a reaction.

 

My oldest daughter had the immunotherapy shots for stinging insects after an anaphylactic wasp sting reaction. I don't know if they have worked because fortunately she hasn't been stung since. I am going to get her evaluated for allergy shots soon as some sections of the trail she was running at cross country practice had plants she suspected were the cause of her wheezing.