Allergy Shots (cont.)
What Will the Shots Do For Me?
Immunotherapy, if properly managed, can significantly reduce allergy symptoms. In some people, it greatly reduces the need for allergy medication.
- These effects become noticeable 6-12 months after starting the therapy.
- Most people notice continued gradual improvement over the next 2-4 years.
- By years 3-5, most people are desensitized to their allergen or allergens. Many can stop immunotherapy at that point.
There are several things you can do to increase the success of the therapy:
- Make a commitment to follow your allergist's recommendations to the letter.
- Follow through with the entire course of treatment recommended. If you stop half way through, the treatment will not work.
- Continue to avoid the allergens as much as possible. Just because you complete a course of immunotherapy for your allergy to pet dander doesn't mean you can now go out and get a cat. Immunotherapy is much less likely to work if you do not continue to avoid your allergens.
Jeffrey Lee Kishiyama, MD
Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD
Stephen C Dreskin, MD, PhD
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