How do I take allergy drops?
Place drops under your tongue & leave there for at least 20 seconds then swallow. You would need to repeat this daily until your vial is used up.
What do I do if I forget to take my drops for a few days to weeks?
Resume the drops as before without any change.
What do I do if I don’t take drops for several months?
Our office may need to retest you for allergies. The results will be used to start you back on a regimen that’s appropriate. Depending on the vial strength you are on, we may instruct you to start the drops one drop for 3 days and increase every 3 days back up to 3 drops a day.
What are the side effects from allergy drops?
Tingling or itching in the mouth as well as nausea or other forms of abdominal discomfort are the most common side effects from the allergy drops. The patient should proceed with the drops as instructed. However, patients on allergy drops may rarely experience more significant side effects including breathing difficulties or swelling. Should these side effects occur, take one benadryl and contact our office immediately or go to the emergency room.
How long will it take before I begin to feel improvement in my allergy symptoms?
In some patients, symptom improvement may be experienced in as early as 4 weeks. The average time however is 3-6 months.
How long will treatment last?
On average, treatment with allergy drops last for 3-5 years. In some severely allergic patients, treatment may last longer.
When do I need to be retested for allergies?
The testing frequency is determined based on the allergy profile as well as clinical response to the allergy drops.
How important is it to use the drops daily?
Use of the allergy drops as directed has been found to significantly improve allergy symptoms and reduce allergy medication use. Indeed, both the FREQUENCY as well as dose was found to play a role in improving allergy symptoms. As such, using the drops sporadically or less than the recommended daily dosing may result in sub-optimal (if any) improvement in allergy symptoms.
Can I switch between allergy drops and allergy shots?
Yes. However, we strongly discourage flip-flopping between allergy shots and allergy drops as it may increase the treatment duration period.
Do I need to carry an Epi-Pen?
No, unless you have other issues that could predispose you to an allergic reaction, there seems to be no reason to carry an epipen.