PATIENT CENTER

What are allergy drops?

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT or allergy drops) is using liquid allergens under the tongue to build tolerance. Just like allergy shots, allergy drops are customized to the patient with their individual allergies.

What allergies can be treated with allergy drops?

• Seasonal allergies. If you have seasonal allergic asthma or hay fever symptoms, you may be allergic to pollens released by trees, grasses or weeds.
• Indoor allergens. If you have year-round symptoms, you may be allergic to indoor allergens such as dust mites, cockroaches, mold, or dander from pets like cats or dogs.

What are the advantages of allergy drops?

In addition to being a practical option for people of all ages and conditions, there are more advantages:

• Lower cost, fewer clinic visits. Compared to shots and many medications, allergy drops typically cost less over time. Most patients receiving allergy drops need only a few clinic visits the first year, and then once every 6-12 months thereafter until visits are no longer needed. That can also mean a lot less time away from work or school.
• More convenient. You can take allergy drops every day at home or when traveling, making it much easier to stay with your treatment.
• No needles
• Less medication. Our patients report, and research confirms, that they typically need less medication to control symptoms after beginning allergy drops.

Are allergy drops safe?

Allergy drops are not FDA approved in the U.S. but is approved in Europe and has been used for many years with great efficacy and safety. Some studies suggest that SLIT may be slightly less effective than allergy shots, but this has not been definitively proven.

Will my insurance cover allergy drops?

Because allergy drops are an off-label use of FDA-approved antigens, they are not typically covered by insurance. Check with your carrier first. Allergy drops do qualify for Health Savings Account or Flex Spending reimbursement. Even without insurance coverage, most patients find treatment affordable and comparable to other medication or visit co-pays. Most patients agree that the temporary investment in allergy drops is well worth the lasting results and improvement in their quality of life.

How long will I need to do allergy drops for?

SLIT has 2 phases: building & maintenance. Building consists of increases in dosage every day and lasts about 7 days depending on the patient’s tolerance. When building is completed, the maintenance phase begins, and patients continue the same amount of drops daily at home. Maintenance lasts 3 to 5 years.

If the FDA doesn’t approve allergy drops, are they safe to use?

It’s important to understand that the antigens used in allergy drops are the same FDA-approved antigens used in allergy shots. They’re also prepared in the same way as allergy shots. The difference is the route of delivery — a dispenser that delivers a precise drop of antigen under the tongue versus a syringe injecting antigen into tissue. The FDA approves products, not therapies, so it’s unlikely that it will ever “approve” custom, multi-antigen sublingual immunotherapy.

What are the risks of allergy drops?

Common local reactions can occur including itching/redness/swelling of the tongue/throat/mouth. These reactions usually occur within 24 hours and can be treated with oral antihistamines. Abdominal pain, nausea, reflux, diarrhea, and trouble swallowing can rarely occur. Serious reactions include anaphylactic reactions. The first dose of drops is administered in the office under medical supervision because of the potential risk. Subsequent doses are done at home. Allergy drops have been used for many years around the world and there has not been any reported deaths.

How do I start allergy drops?

In order to start allergy drops you must have a consultation and testing to figure out your allergies. Please call/text our office at 515-410-9400 to schedule an appointment or click (here)

What is a food allergy?

A true food allergy involves the abnormal response of the body’s immune mechanisms to specific foods or food ingredients. A wide variety of symptoms can occur with a food allergy and usually fall into these categories:

• Gastrointestinal: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, trouble swallowing
• Skin: itching, hives, swelling, rash
• Upper and lower respiratory: asthma, cough, nasal symptoms, watery/itchy eyes, throat swelling, hoarseness, shortness of breath, wheezing

What foods cause allergic reactions?

Foods that commonly cause allergy in infants and children are egg, milk, peanuts, soy, wheat, and fish. Foods that commonly cause allergy in adults are shellfish, peanuts, nuts, fish, and soy. However, food allergy may develop to any food that is included in the diet and may develop at any time in life.

What are the differences between a food intolerance and food allergy?

Food allergy is sometimes confused with food intolerance. Food allergies involve your immune system, are predictable, and can be life-threatening. An intolerance is when your body has an abnormal response to a food or chemical is irritating to the body but does not involve the immune system. Intolerances can be unpredictable and can cause symptoms but is generally much milder than true allergy.

What are symptoms of a food reaction?

An allergic reaction to food can have many different symptoms, and a single person can experience different symptoms from one reaction to the next. Many reactions start with skin symptoms, like hives or a rash, but some do not. More serious symptoms like a drop in blood pressure and trouble breathing can be life-threatening. Talk to your allergist and work with them to figure out a plan for emergencies.

What is Anaphylaxis?

Anaphylaxis is a serious, severe allergic reaction that comes on quickly and may cause death. Early use of an epinephrine auto-injector is the primary treatment for anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis often begins within minutes after a person eats a problem food. Less commonly, symptoms may begin hours later. Up to 20 percent of patients have a second wave of symptoms hours or even days after their initial symptoms have subsided. This is called biphasic anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis is highly likely to be occurring when any one of the following happens within minutes to hours after ingestion of the food allergen:

• Difficulty breathing
• Throat tightness
• Change in voice
• Coughing
• Runny nose/congestion/sneezing
• Itchy/red/watery eyes
• Reduced blood pressure (e.g., pale, weak pulse, confusion, loss of consciousness)
• Racing heart
• Sense of impending doom
• Hives, itching, or swelling of any body part
• Gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea, cramping)

How are food allergies treated?

Once a food allergy is suspected, your provider will determine if you are a candidate for a food challenge to confirm or reject the allergy or desensitization to build tolerance to the food. There are several factors involved with this decision-making process that may include skin testing, blood tests, and patient history.

There are 3 options for food allergy:

• Avoidance of the food and carrying an epinephrine auto-injector for accidental exposures.
• Food challenge is a process by which a small amount of food is given by mouth in increasing doses over the period of up to several hours under the supervision of a provider. This is done when there is a good chance that you may not be allergic to the food. Please click (here) for more information.
• Desensitization (oral immunotherapy) refers to feeding an allergic individual an increasing amount of an allergen with the goal of increasing the threshold that triggers a reaction. For example, peanut-allergic patients can be given very small amounts of peanut protein in increasing amounts in the allergist’s office. The goal of therapy is to raise the threshold that may trigger a reaction and provide the allergic individual protection against accidental ingestion of the allergen.