[Mr.GoodThread]

I guess one option to help fight allergies is to get allergy shots done. Any of you ever had them done? I heard it can take 2-3 years to complete the whole thing and you'd have to get shots done weekly. Right now I'm just going to get dust-proof covers (although I know one can never be truly rid of dust), and make some other changes in the home. If you got them done or know someone who did, did it work or was it all a wast of time?

[Impetuoso]

(03-22-2016 10:31 PM)Mr.GoodThread Wrote:  

I guess one option to help fight allergies is to get allergy shots done. Any of you ever had them done? I heard it can take 2-3 years to complete the whole thing and you'd have to get shots done weekly. Right now I'm just going to get dust-proof covers (although I know one can never be truly rid of dust), and make some other changes in the home. If you got them done or know someone who did, did it work or was it all a wast of time?

I had allergy shots as a child. Honestly, I don't remember if they did any good or not. I still had the usual symptoms, but I can't say if the shots made those any less. I did need to get them once or twice a week. One thing I have found that does help with my rhinitis allergies (besides antihistamines, of course) is quercetin. I use the Life Extension brand and take 250mg in the morning and the same in the evening. The quercetin doesn't eliminate the symptoms completely, but does lessen the severity. I have read somewhere that quercetin can inscrease estrogen, so be on the lookout for symptoms of that.

[scubadude]

They work but for most people they are a waste of time. Miss a couple and you're set back considerably. I huge percent of people do not complete the treatment and get minimal benefit.

Do you have seasonal allergies or year round? What symptoms do you have?

[Mr.GoodThread]

Based on my lifestyle choices and the schedule that I've set up for myself, I probably would be able to commit to it and not miss any appointments. I just don't think that I'm ready to put up with the hassle right now at this point in my life, and the constant needle pokes for something that only works for some people and not for others. I get itchy eyes, nasal drip, headaches sometimes, so it's pretty annoying. I am allergic to shellfish, pet dander, dust mites, cockroaches, and a couple of other things like pollen or certain trees. It's been worse this last year, but I think that's because I've had other weaknesses in my body that have allowed the allergy symptoms to wreak havoc.

I probably wouldn't be helped at all on the food allergy front, but maybe the shots would be helpful for environmental allergens in the air and pet dander. Still, I'm not ready for them yet since they're not guaranteed to work.

I'd get them for free now since my insurance covers it, but I'm not sure if it isn't better to find the best doctor in NYC and pay for him to do it.

I'm rambling, I will see how things progress and reassess.

[JayR]

(03-23-2016 08:17 PM)Mr.GoodThread Wrote:  

Based on my lifestyle choices and the schedule that I've set up for myself, I probably would be able to commit to it and not miss any appointments. I just don't think that I'm ready to put up with the hassle right now at this point in my life, and the constant needle pokes for something that only works for some people and not for others. I get itchy eyes, nasal drip, headaches sometimes, so it's pretty annoying. I am allergic to shellfish, pet dander, dust mites, cockroaches, and a couple of other things like pollen or certain trees. It's been worse this last year, but I think that's because I've had other weaknesses in my body that have allowed the allergy symptoms to wreak havoc.

I probably wouldn't be helped at all on the food allergy front, but maybe the shots would be helpful for environmental allergens in the air and pet dander. Still, I'm not ready for them yet since they're not guaranteed to work.

I'd get them for free now since my insurance covers it, but I'm not sure if it isn't better to find the best doctor in NYC and pay for him to do it.

I'm rambling, I will see how things progress and reassess.

I have some 2nd hand experience with this.

After moving to New Orleans, my wife was getting crippling sinus headaches. She consulted an allergist, and had the panel test done. She's ranked 3 or 4 (most allergic) to the majority of allergens on the panel, so decided to start on the shots in hopes of avoiding the awful headaches.

This was almost 18 months ago. The program entails twice weekly visits to the allergist for shots with progressively larger amounts of allergen, which in theory builds up the body's natural immune response. She's currently on the last set of bottles, the "red tops," after which she will be done with the program.

Though she still has the occasional sneezing fit, she has not had a crippling headache since shortly after starting the program. For this reason, she feels all the effort, expense ($13/shot after insurance, your mileage may vary), and inconvenience was worth it.

The allergist explained that an allergic person's tolerance is like a bucket -- exposure to a few allergens won't necessarily trigger an immune response/symptoms. But each exposure to each allergen adds a little more to the bucket. When the bucket overflows, that's when symptoms appear.

http://drlarsen.com/allergies-and-the-bu...-toxicity/

So in addition to the shots, we took the following steps to try to keep her "bucket" as empty as possible:

-- Special allergen-trapping filters in the furnace/AC
-- Hepa filter in the bedroom
-- Special dust-mite-blocking mattress cover and pillow cases

Her doc told her that the most common allergy is to dust mite feces, and the most likely place to encounter that stuff is in the bedroom, and because you spend so much time there, the focus should be that room. Vacuum and dust the hell out of the bedroom, dust regularly, and get the Hepa filter.

Good luck.

[Quaestum]

I'm currently getting shots - I decided I've got enough of this bullshit after years of not being able to enjoy summer due to tree and grass pollen. I started probably around nine months ago and so far I haven't seen any results on the pollen front, however - I am/was allergic to whole bunch of fruit up until six months ago, think apples, pears, strawberries etc., essentially everything with natural fruit acid in it.

While pears, peaches and cherries don't work yet, I had my first fresh apple last year after not eating them for 15 years...it's good! No idea whether this is related to the shots or eating healthier which I've started doing around the same time.

Despite the massive amount of money - allergies are not as big in NZ as they're in Europe and North America, hence treatment costs are high - I'll keep it going this and next year. A close relative of mine got his shots for an extended period of time many years ago, but it didn't help him. It's pretty much a gamble, some people get cured, for many nothing changes and I've heard a few horror stories where the allergies actually got worse afterwards.

At last, I've had shots weekly for the first two months or so, now I get them monthy: They call it "maintenance dosis". I haven't had any reactions after the shots, but other people could be different.

[Mr.GoodThread]

Quaestum, how many shots are you getting in the arm per each session if you don't mind me asking? 3? 10? More? And it sucks that there was no relief for your relative.

JayR, any idea how many shots your wife was getting in the arm per session?

Like I mentioned, I'm going to wait another 6 months to a year and see how I feel. I appreciate the input though.

[Quaestum]

Just one shot in each (1x grass, 1x trees) arm per session. I've got a good nurse so it's hardly ever painful and usually done within five minutes.

[DarkTriad]

(03-23-2016 08:37 AM)scubadude Wrote:  

They work but for most people they are a waste of time. Miss a couple and you're set back considerably. I huge percent of people do not complete the treatment and get minimal benefit.

Do you have seasonal allergies or year round? What symptoms do you have?

With a busy life, it can get really easy to start missing shots, and every time you do, you almost have to "start over".

However, even with a partial treatment, they had a massive impact on my allergies.

[JayR]

(03-24-2016 10:21 PM)Mr.GoodThread Wrote:  

Quaestum, how many shots are you getting in the arm per each session if you don't mind me asking? 3? 10? More? And it sucks that there was no relief for your relative.

JayR, any idea how many shots your wife was getting in the arm per session?

Like I mentioned, I'm going to wait another 6 months to a year and see how I feel. I appreciate the input though.

She gets two shots per session -- one in each arm. However, she says she needs two only because she was allergic to so many different things that they could not fit everything into a single serum.

Now that she is on the last bottle in the program, she goes only once per week instead of two. After she finishes these bottles, I believe she goes on a maintenance program that requires less frequent shots.

[Balkan]

Hey I've been getting allergy shots for several years. I've switched between multiple doctors, one of which was great and the other was a massive time waster. I made a post a while ago on allergy shots here. It might answer some of your questions. I added it below..

Quote:

Yes, I've gotten allergy shots for the last few years. I went from having to take claritin and singular daily (sinuses completely closed and had difficulty breathing without them) to not even getting hayfever in the mornings anymore. It drastically improved my quality of life.

Here's how it works.

You get a skinprick test, which exposes you to a variety of allergens, primarily trees, grasses, insects, household pets, and pollens. Based on your immune response to each of these (inflammation) they determine what you're allergic too and they make a serum cocktail containing those allergens. It's typically broken down into 2 vials, one environmental and one pollen. Therefore, you get 2 shots each time you visit. If you're less responsive you might only be allergic to environmental or pollen agents and only get 1 shot each visit. However, I've observed >80% patients get 2 shots each visit. After each shot you must 30 minutes to ensure you don't overreact to the allergen and go into anaphylaxis. You should be prescribed an epi-pen just in case something happens once you leave the office, although in 3+ years I've never used mine.

There are two phases of getting allergy shots; the "ramping up phase" and "maintenance phase". During the ramping up phase you increase the quantity of allergen you get up a ladder (ex. 10cc > 20cc > 30cc > 40cc > 50cc) and once you reach the highest cc level and don't react significantly to it (if you do they'll repeat at previous levels until you build a tolerance) then they move you up to a higher concentration vial as each environmental and pollen vials are simply serial dilutions from a stock vial. You repeat this process until you reach the highest quantity at the highest concentration and don't react. At this point you enter the "maintenance phase" and you typically get shots once a month or once every other month. It's my impression that you never stop getting allergy shots, although you can come in significantly less frequently and you can go months without a shot without getting symptomatic.

Here's the issue. Most allergists recognize the opportunity and $$ involved in having nurses give patients shots without the allergist himself ever seeing the patient. They're insurance companies worst nightmare. Therefore, watch out for allergists that have suspiciously slow protocols. You should be able to reach a "maintenance phase" in under a year. If any allergist tells you otherwise, move on. I got stuck with an allergist that gave me very weak shots for 3 years on a weekly basis. My immunity barely improved. Since, I switched to a new allergist, I've made as much progress in 2 months here than I did in 3 years at the old place. A good tell to see if your allergist is time scamming you or not, is to ask or investigate if they follow national standards for the "ramping up phase". If they do, good. If not, move on. A lot of allergists seem to have "proprietary methods", which means they intentionally slow you down so you can be a stable long-term customer.

Find an allergist close to home/work if possible. It's a pain in the ass driving to, waiting to get called back, getting a shot, waiting 30 minutes, driving home 3x/week.

Hopefully that addressed some basics. If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM.

Food allergies can't be targeted by allergy shots, at least with current technology, so above poster probably genetically shed the allergy over time. I have the same allergic profile as you (some pets, some pollens, cockroach, shellfish, dust mites) Allergy shots are a pain in the ass but they significantly helped me. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

[JayR]

(03-28-2016 01:53 PM)Balkan Wrote:  

Here's the issue. Most allergists recognize the opportunity and $$ involved in having nurses give patients shots without the allergist himself ever seeing the patient. They're insurance companies worst nightmare. Therefore, watch out for allergists that have suspiciously slow protocols. You should be able to reach a "maintenance phase" in under a year.

This sounds about right. My wife's program took over a year, but I think that's mostly because she would miss a shot here and there, which extended her treatments.

There were 5 or 6 bottles with different colored caps, each with a progressively stronger dose. For the initial consultation and each time she graduated to a new bottle, the Doc himself would give her a full exam. For the in-between shots, a nurse would do it.

[Balkan]

(03-28-2016 02:30 PM)JayR Wrote:  

(03-28-2016 01:53 PM)Balkan Wrote:  

Here's the issue. Most allergists recognize the opportunity and $$ involved in having nurses give patients shots without the allergist himself ever seeing the patient. They're insurance companies worst nightmare. Therefore, watch out for allergists that have suspiciously slow protocols. You should be able to reach a "maintenance phase" in under a year.

This sounds about right. My wife's program took over a year, but I think that's mostly because she would miss a shot here and there, which extended her treatments.

There were 5 or 6 bottles with different colored caps, each with a progressively stronger dose. For the initial consultation and each time she graduated to a new bottle, the Doc himself would give her a full exam. For the in-between shots, a nurse would do it.

Yeah usually the red cap bottle, someone mentioned above, is the stock solution (highest concentration) that all the other bottles are 10x, 100x, 1000x etc. dilutions of. That's a good indicator that your doctor has regular meetings even though they're probably unnecessary.

A few other pointers:
-All the allergen bottles=serum. Each set of serum typically expires in a year. A large reason behind that is the serum loses potency itself over time. So if you get shots for 1+ years, you'll have multiple batches of serum. Freshly made serum is strongly than older serum. Make sure your doctor doesn't pull some fuckery and downgrade you substantially on the progress chart because "the new serum is stronger and you're reacting to it at the same concentrations at which you were unreactive to with the old serum". ^That's a mouthful but it's the main gimmick my old allergist used to keep patients for multiple years.
-Bring a book while you're waiting your 30min, I recently finished the Art of the Deal while in the waiting room. Good time investment! So great!
-Usually offices that have the N02 machines, that you breathe into and try to keep a object stationary are indicative of time-scamming offices. Those machines are given token usage so doctors can bill insurance and collect $$.

Just curious, this is a bit out there but did you guys with allergies have c-section births? I did and I think that factored into the severity of my allergies as a kid. You miss out on the vaginal wash full of healthy bacteria. There's a few NCBI papers showing correlations between chronic diseases, such as allergies and asthma with c-section births.

[tylerdurden1993]

Quote:

Just curious, this is a bit out there but did you guys with allergies have c-section births? I did and I think that factored into the severity of my allergies as a kid. You miss out on the vaginal wash full of healthy bacteria. There's a few NCBI papers showing correlations between chronic diseases, such as allergies and asthma with c-section births.

I had a c section birth and I have mild asthma, hayfever and atopic eczema (which is quite bad)[/quote]. I think it's definitely makes you more lilely to have allergies due to not getting that bacteria from the vaginal birth.

Does anyone else take vitamin C to help with allergies? I remember watching on a movie about vitamins that high doses of vitamin C can help with alergies.

[Balkan]

(03-28-2016 03:30 PM)tylerdurden1993 Wrote:  

Quote:

Just curious, this is a bit out there but did you guys with allergies have c-section births? I did and I think that factored into the severity of my allergies as a kid. You miss out on the vaginal wash full of healthy bacteria. There's a few NCBI papers showing correlations between chronic diseases, such as allergies and asthma with c-section births.

I had a c section birth and I have mild asthma, hayfever and atopic eczema (which is quite bad)

. I think it's definitely makes you more lilely to have allergies due to not getting that bacteria from the vaginal birth.

Does anyone else take vitamin C to help with allergies? I remember watching on a movie about vitamins that high doses of vitamin C can help with alergies.
[/quote]

Yeah I use vitamin C powder most days. Trader joe's has 1lb for ~$10. I haven't noticed it helping my baseline allergies, perhaps it has, but I haven't gotten sick in months and whenever I start feeling under the weather I up the amount of vitamin C and it seems to knock down most allergy-induced colds/sore throats etc. I think the movie you mentioned is about orthomolecular medicine and mega-dosing vitamin C to fight off a range of unrelated illnesses such as mono and even cancer. It's quite interesting stuff. If you're not taking vitamin C yet, I'd recommend getting some bulk powder and giving it a try.