Originally published on Substack.
Allergy tablets are FDA approved and are very effective. However, they only cover 1 allergen per tablet and currently, are only available for dust mites, ragweed and grass. Since it would be most advantageous to treat all of your allergies in 1 formula, you are likely better suited for allergy drops.
Allergy drops are liquefied forms of the allergens you are allergic to that are given in small controlled quantities, and are customized just for you based on your allergy history and test results. They are prescribed off label using the same FDA approved allergen extracts as in allergy shots as well as the same FDA approved sublingual route used by tablets.
They are applied under your tongue once daily in order to expose your body and build tolerance. Building tolerance over time changes the way your body reacts to these allergens and thus will decrease your symptoms. Allergy drops are a commitment and you need to be consistent with them in order to change your body's response.
I am optimistic that if you are consistent with them, you will notice a benefit in 3-6 months as do many of our patients by this time point. If you do not see relief in 3-6 months I will still not be concerned as it takes time to change your immune system’s response. The pivotal period is 1 year. By that time, if you have not seen an improvement in your symptoms, we will need to re-evaluate. The average person will remain on immunotherapy for 3-5 years.
Common side effects include irritation, numbness or tingling under the tongue which should wear off over time. If these do occur, they typically occur in the first month during the build phase. If these become troublesome, you can always reach out to us for assistance.
Life-threatening allergic reactions are extremely rare and reported anywhere from 1 in 100 million doses to 1 in 1 Billion doses. However, since we are giving you something you are allergic to, we will prescribe you an epinephrine device to have on hand.
