Why allergy drops?
Sublingual Immunotherapy, commonly known as Allergy drops, are a method of treating allergies by placing drops underneath the tongue: a small dose of an allergen being introduced into the patient allows the body to build immunity over time. A dropper of antigens is placed under the tongue daily until the patient doesn’t experience any reactions anymore. They can be used for a wide variety of allergies in most patients from children (6 years old and up) to adults.
Some examples of patients that may qualify:
- Severe asthmatics
- Patients with chronic sinusitis or allergic rhinitis
- Children with eczema and/or recurring ear infections
- Multiple allergy sufferers (dust, pet dander, and pollen)
- Patients that are not able to come in weekly to the office ( Example frequent flyers, Pilots)
What are some of the benefits?
- No needles or injections
- At-home treatment
- Affordable
- Reducing reliance on allergy medications
- Access to a physician in-person or via telemedicine
SLIT drops aren’t currently approved by the FDA for treating allergies. If you are a candidate for drops, you will have access to a physician in-person or via telemedicine and insurance coverage when available.
How do I know if sublingual immunotherapy is right for me?
The first step is to confirm an appointment with one of our allergists and confirm your allergies. The doctor’s evaluation with allergy testing will likely confirm if you are to benefit from sublingual immunotherapy. If you are, then a custom-mixed vial of drops is ordered, prepared for you by our Central Mixing lab and delivered to you. A provider will see you periodically to address any changes as needed.
Are allergy drops safe?
Allergy drops are widely considered to be a safe and effective allergy treatment alternative that can reduce or eliminate allergy symptoms. If you suffer from allergies and would like to find out if allergy drops are a viable option for you, please complete an online appointment request HERE.
How does the process work?
It’s a 3-step process. After confirming a patient’s allergies through allergy testing, a custom-mixed vial of drops is prepared for the patient.
Phase 1: during the initial oral tolerance, the patient takes drops under the tongue daily and the body begins adjusting to the treatment. With better tolerance, symptoms and allergy reactions begin to decrease. It usually lasts 3 to 4 months.
Phase 2: escalation phase, the dosage is gradually increased; it can last up to 2 years in which the patient experiences relief and scarcity of symptoms.
Phase 3: After that, in the maintenance phase, the patient takes the same dose of drops each day.
FAQs
Immunotherapy treats the cause of allergies by giving small doses of what a person is allergic to, which increases “immunity” or tolerance to the allergen and reduces the allergic symptoms.
Sublingual immunotherapy is given as drops under the tongue.
It is very safe, for both adults and children. Patients take the drops in the convenience of their own homes instead of going to a doctor’s office every week for shots. The World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed sublingual immunotherapy as a viable alternative to injection immunotherapy.
Many published scientific studies have shown that it significantly reduces allergy symptoms.
It is not recommended for pregnant women to start taking allergy drops. However, if a patient is already taking sublingual immunotherapy drops and becomes pregnant, they can continue SLIT at a stable dose throughout pregnancy.
Yes, it is safe to fly while taking sublingual immunotherapy drops. Ask your doctor for a letter to carry the drops in the cabin.
Yes, children from the age of 7 can get SLIT