Allergy Shots

I am now on my 12th week of allergy shots (immunotherapy) to reduce hives and other allergic reactions. It hasn't been too bad. I got a shot in each arm once a week and then I wait in the office for 20 minutes to make sure I don't have an allergic reaction. The nurse checks the shot area for any swelling and then sends me on my way until the next week. The shots are very quick.

The process at my allergy clinic is to go through 5 vials of vaccinations to get to the maintenance phase. Each vial contains enough serum to give shots for 5 weeks. Once you finish a vial, you move up to the next vial. Each vial that you move up to contains a more concentrated serum. The serum is made specifically for each patient according to what you are allergic to. Little by little, the serum helps your immune system to build defenses against these allergens.

Once you make it to the fifth vial (the most concentrated vial), you begin the maintenance phase. Depending on the clinic and how you are doing, they could have you come anywhere from once a week to once every couple months.

I am already on my 3rd vial and I have not had an allergic reaction to it yet. If I were to have an allergic reaction, they would keep giving me shots from that concentration of serum each week until I did not have a reaction, then they would proceed to the next concentration level of serum.

As for how much it costs, it really isn't that much if it works. I pay around $4-5 dollars per weekly shot session after insurance. It is a long process and they told me that I wouldn't start seeing results until I have been coming for 6 months. You definately have to be able to keep up with it to make it work. I would definitely recommend it!

A trip to the Allergist

I went to the Allergist in hopes that she could help me.  My appointment was about 2 1/2 hours long.  She started off with getting a list of my symptoms and medications that I am taking for allergies and my sinus infection.   Then she listened to my lungs and suggested a breathing treatment.  They put an oxygen mask over my mouth and nose that emitted abluteral steam for 15 minutes.  Then I did a breathing test.  They had me blow into a tube for a few seconds and then breath in for a second.  I had to try to blow all three houses over on the computer screen.  I didn't do so well on the test, so they had me do another breathing treatment.  We repeated this 3 times.  Then they did the prick test.  They had about 20 or 30 needles that they dipped into different allergens and then pricked me with each one on my forearms.  I had to wait 15 minutes to see which ones had a reaction.  When they looked at my arm afterward, they found that I was allergic to trees, mold, mildew, dust mites, dogs and tree nuts.  Since I have a food allergen, they gave me a prescription for an epi-pen.  They also gave me another abluteral inhaler, a steroid inhaler, a new allergy medicine prescription and a stronger dose of antibiotics.  Since I had a food allergy, they sent me to get blood work to see how severe that allergy is  and which tree nut I was allergic to.  They also sent me for an x-ray of my lungs and sinuses.  My lung x-ray came back with good results, but not my sinuses.  They referred me to an ENT for my sinuses, which I still have to make an appointment for.

The third round of antibiotics and the inhalers and nasonex (steroid nasal spray) are all helping.  The Allergist also recommended allergy shots which I begin this week and have to get every week for the next year until they can lengthen the time between visits.   Hopefully the allergy shots will be worth it.  They are supposed to build my immunity to the things I am allergic to.  Let me know if anybody else has dealt with this and what their experience is and if anything natural has helped them with their allergies.

Severe Allergies

I have been living with severe seasonal allergies for as long as I can remember.  While in the military, I moved around a lot.  The Southern United States was the worst for me.  While living in Mississippi, I was taking a nasal steroid and prescription antihistamines.  While living in Idaho, I received an allergy test.  They had a large stamp with dozens of needles.  Each needle had been dipped in a different allergen.  They then stamped my forearm and I waited about 30 minutes to find out what I was allergic to.  Any dot that bubbled up, was something I was allergic to.  I remember, my forearm looked like a mountain range by the time I was done!  That was 15 years ago.  They didn't really tell me what I was allergic to, but they did give me prescriptions to take daily.  While pregnant with my first child, I ate a handful of tree nuts, which I hadn't done since I was a child.  I had an allergic reaction and had to take Benadryl.  My whole mouth and throat swelled up.

After my son was born, I found out he had severe peanut allergies, so I carry an Epi-Pen around with me everywhere I go.  I am afraid to use it, but I will if I have to.  I usually just give him Benadryl and watch him to make sure he is not having breathing problems when he does ingest a peanut.  Be very careful around Halloween time and check all the candies before they can eat them.  We usually trade our candies that contain peanuts with other kids non-peanut candies.  That way, everyone is happy!

I recently moved to Northern Virginia and my allergies have been out of control since the beginning of February.  I haven't stopped coughing or draining mucuos since then.  I went to a Minute Clinic where they prescribed Nasonex and Cherutusin for my allergies.  The next week, it was in my lungs also, so I went to a primary care doctor who told me I had bronchitis and told me to keep taking the medicine that I received a week ago and wait it out.  A week later, I went to an ENT, who prescribed a steroid pack and antibiotics.  It really helped with the itching and swelling, but once I was done, all the symptoms came back and got worse everyday.  About a week after I finished my steroids and antibiotics, my throat swelled almost completely shut and was so itchy,  my sinuses were constantly full, my voice was completely gone, my ears were completely full and I woke up in the middle of the night unable to catch my breath.  My husband brought me to the ER where they ran alot of tests.  They said it was not strep, flu or pneumonia.  I still had a sinus infection and my allergies were awful.  I received a breathing treatment (albuteral), stronger steroids and stronger antibiotics and a take home albuteral inhaler.  I am coming to the end of the steroids and I am really worried that it will happen again and my husband will be on a business trip and I will not make it to the hospital.  I am in complete misery.  People avoid me because they think I am sick.  We had to leave Easter Mass early because I couldn't stop coughing.  It is completely taking over my life.  I don't want to live like this.  I want to feel like a human being again, who can take my kids on walks and go to the playground with them.  Another thing, I have not been able to sleep well.  I have been averaging 2-5 hours of sleep a night and it is getting worse.   I feel like a zombie all day.

Tomorrow morning, I am going to an allergist to have allergy tests done.  I really hope they will be able to help me.  I have heard that allergy shots help.  Even though it is a long process with frequent appointments for shots,  I will take that over the way I feel now.  I really hope they can help me and start giving me the shots.

I will let everyone know how the appointment goes and if they are able to help.  If anyone has questions or comments, please respond to this post.