From the article: Should I take allergy shots or allergy drops to treat my allergies?
Immunotherapy is the only allergy treatment that reduces or eliminates a person's allergy symptoms and need for allergy medicines. Traditional allergy shots are the FDA-approved method of immunotherapy, and are generally covered by insurance. However, allergy shots have to be given in the doctor's office, which many people consider inconvenient.
Allergy drops are commonly used in Europe, but are not currently FDA approved. Drops can be taken at home, and are therefore more convenient, but aren't covered by insurance.
Did you have a choice between allergy shots or drops? Which form of treatment did you choose, and why? Share Your Reason
Chose Shots
- My allergist said recent studies show that shots are more effective than drops and i'm moving in with girlfriend who owns a cat in 5 months. I will try the shots and see how it goes, before doing the drops.
- —Guest Oliver
Shots Work Much Better
- I've done shots & drops. Initially got shots; worked amazingly. I could go to people's houses with animals; then had to stop b/c it a huge committment. Couple yrs. later, started drops; used them about 1.5 yrs to no avail. Just re-started shots and am looking forward to being social once again.
- —julie604
Limited success with drops
- I did drops because of my fear of needles - was also convenient as I wanted to travel a bit so all I needed was to make sure I had access to a fridge to store them in. That was a few years ago and now it appears that 3 years of SLIT did not work all that well as I cannot get off any of my many medications without getting sinus infections, rashes etc. Now considering shots but still unsure. I don't want to live my life on as many medicines as I'm taking now.
- —Guest Australiangirl
Did both...Drops are FAR superior
- I did shots in high school and college (stopped in 1991). They did not help. If anything, they made things worse. Then started drops in December of 1995. Huge improvement in many areas. I choose drops due to the science (go back to the basics). Why not keep dosage more level with three times a day (drops) as opposed to one bolus once a week/month with shots? Drops are a lot more convenient; you don't have drive to the clinic, pay the nurse/clinic, mess with weather, etc. More and more research is being done. Unfortunately, many people won't look at research unless it is conducted by big US pharmaceutical companies (no, I am not bashing US pharmaceuticals--just upset that many doctors live with their heads in the sand when it comes to SLIT).
- —Guest randyvpIowa
Chose the drops (SLIT)
- We chose the allergy drops. Even though we must pay out of pocket it is not that much more than weekly visit copays. The drops are painless, don't contain thermerosol (so the nurse said...), and can be done at home, on vacation, etc. Th allergist is 20 minutes drive away on a good day, but double that if we hit the lights wrong or if the roads are slick with ice. Works for us...
- —kellycolorado
