Advantages of Allergy Drops (Sublingual Immunotherapy)Description: Allergy DropsConvenient:

Administered at home, allergy drops, also known as SLIT, avoid time off work/school for regular weekly office visits to your Texas allergist that are required for allergy shots.

This is convenient for people who travel are unable to make regular trips to the allergist’s office for allergy shots. Also, there is no pain from injections.Affordability:

The cost of allergy drops is comparable to a co-pay for shots and medications for most patients, but lasts only 5 years, while the cost of others could be indefinite. Each patient is on a case to case basis, their reactions, history and insurance coverage.Safe for Most Patients:

SLIT can be started beginning at the age of two all the way to senior citizens. Allergy drops are usually easier for our Texas patients and have less adverse reactions than allergy shots. Many patients also miss fewer doses, which helps with the treatment process. Sublingual Immunotherapy offers a superior safety profile. The occurrence of anaphylaxis incident is only three times per million. Texan allergy has had no reports of severe reactions while using our allergy drop protocol. All-natural, unlike medications, SLIT is made from simple extracts of pet dander, pollens, dusts and mold.Effective:

The results shown in the latest meta-analysis, conducted by the well-known Cochrane Review (2009), more than 2300 patients being treated with sublingual immunotherapy had a considerable decrease in symptom scores and the use of medication for allergies and asthma without severe reactions or anaphylaxis. Allergy drops are endorsed by the World Health Organization and the ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and it Impact on Asthma) guideline. Click here to learn more

Sublingual Immunotherapy eliminates allergic reactions, as opposed to masking symptoms like some medications do. This method is effective for treating allergies because it is used daily and it typically has a quicker onset of action (within four weeks). Allergy drops result in less adverse reactions than allergy shots.

The concept behind immunotherapy treatments, including allergy drops and allergy shots, is to subject the body to a tiny amount of the substances that cause allergies. Over a period of several months there will be an increase in those concentrations and a decrease in symptoms will occur.

Allergy drops (under-the-tongue included) have been used for more than one hundred years. There is a multitude of evidence from the past 30 years that shows how effective and safe SLIT is.

Most patients will have fewer symptoms and will begin building immunity within weeks of the beginning of their treatment with allergy drops. For some patients, it might take several months to start seeing effects from their therapy. Our Texas allergists use a dosing schedule customized depending on the specific allergies. Each patient is able to take their entire daily dose at once or to divide it into several doses throughout the day.Potential Side Effects

Some side effects and adverse reactions are linked with taking allergy drops. They are almost always very mild and do not usually require any treatment. More than 135,000 patients through the last 40 years using our protocol have had no severe reactions.

Most commonly, patients report of tingling or itching in the mouth or mild swelling under the tongue. This can occur in up to 40% of patients during the initial few days of therapy. Our advice is treating with an antihistamine and keeping on the same dose of drops every day until the reaction no longer occurs.

While uncommon, some of the other adverse reactions might include nausea, stomach pain, and wheezing in patients who have asthma. Severe allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis, are exceedingly rare and more uncommon than in patients taking allergy shots. For this reason, allergy drops can safely be given at home.

Patients who have asthma or anyone taking beta blockers can also safely use allergy drops. As always, asthmatics should take their medications to keep their asthma under control, but the chance of significant exacerbation is much less using allergy drops as with allergy shots.

Learn More About Allergy Drops

Patients that currently take shots are able to switch to drops (and vice versa). Prior to switching, we will need to repeat the allergy testing process. If you are interested in treatment with allergy drops, or would like more information, call us or email us to schedule your visit with our Texas allergist or ask any questions about current pricing or other information.