Allergy Shots??

Question

I have had allergies ever since i was small. I am allergic to any sort of animal hair or feathers, I'm slighty lactose intolerent, and I get seasonal allergies all year round. I dont want to take prescription medication and frankly I am really tired of this problem. My allergies almost always turn into a sinus infection which triggers other problems as well. I heard that allergy shots really work! I would like to know if any of you out there have had allergy shots and did they work for you. What is involved in the process? Does it hurt? How long does it take untill the shots start to work? Please help!!!!

Answer 1

I've had allergy shots and they really work. First they test you to see exactly what you are allergic to. Then they make your allergy serum. I had three shots a week for five years, then I went twice a month, and finally monthly. The shots lasted nine years for me. It took two years before it started helping. After five years, my oral allergies to raw fruits and vegetables vanished and my pollen allergies were much better. My allergy to skunk also vanished. I am not housebound anymore during ragweed season. It barely bothers me.

Answer 2

I had them for two and a half years. I quit in November because frankly, they didn't work for me.

It all starts with an allergy test where they poke you many times in your arm or back. The things that you are allergic to swell up and you end up with big, red, itchy marks. It doesn't hurt, it's jut really uncomfortable and extremely itchy.

With the results of the tests they'll make your serums. Depending on what you're allergic to you will have one or two bottles. I had two (one for the pollens and one for dust mites). You'll start out by getting a shot (or two) once a week. Once you build up enough resistance to your allergens you'll go to two weeks, then three and so on. This process can take a really long time depending on the severity of your allergies. In the two and a half years I only got up to every three weeks.

The shots do have some risks (like anaphylaxis) so they make you wait in the doctor's office for a half an hour after you get your shots. They'll ask you how you're feeling and check in with you before you can leave. They'll look at your arms to see if you have any large red circles around your injection sites (which I had A LOT!!!) This is the most painful part. If you happen to get a reaction from your shots they'll feel really hot, tender, and itch like crazy for about two or three days. The good news is that the huge reactions that I usually got aren't that common. Little marks are almost unavoidable, but I had ones the size of softballs!

Immunotherapy is a pretty new thing. As far as I know it has a pretty high success rate but remember that there is NO CURE for allergies. Even if you do choose to have allergy shots you'll always be allergic to the animal hair and feathers, your symptoms may just be less severe.

It's a big time committment, can be painful, and it's expensive. Just make sure that you're making the right decision and your doctor can help you have realistic expectations. Whatever you choose to do, good luck!!!

Answer 3

The shots help but do not cure your allergies. You still need to take you allergy medication and avoid your allergy triggers when possible. For the first start you will take the shots weekly and then probably every 2 weeks then once a month for at least 5 years. They are like any other shot and done quickly so you don't feel anything more than the pin prick of the needle. The shots will start to help after the first couple of months but as said before it is not a cure all and you still need your allergy medication in addition to the shots. As for you chronic sinus infection you should be taking a good mulitvitamin that is well absorbed by your body every day and a good antioxidant supplement.

Answer 4

The process for getting allergy shots is to first determine what things you are allergic to by poking your skin with a whole bunch of common allergens. The things you are allergic to will cause a red spot to develop. Then, the allergist mixes up a serum that includes the things you are allergic to. In the next step, you are given progressively larger amounts of the allergens until you reach a level where the shots deplete your body of the chemicals that cause the allergic reaction. It takes a couple of months to reach full strength shots, and the shots might sting a little for a few minutes, but they are not painful. Then you keep on getting the shots every two or three weeks. You have to wait 1/2 hour at the doctor's office each time you get a shot, to make sure you don't have an adverse reaction.

Answer 5

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