Posts by Rachel Davis32

It wasn't a bee sting for me; I actually had a reaction to the medication during my immunotherapy sessions. That’s why I had to stop. I wrote a little bit about it here:

And I wrote more about what that reaction actually felt like on my own blog here:

http://mmambaa.blogspot.com/2007/05/...oterapije.html

The night I had my first anaphylactic episode, and again when I tried to continue the therapy, my doctors were really worried about whether it was safe to proceed. I guess there are definitely side effects to all this stuff. I ended up getting an adrenaline shot in the muscle along with some systemic antihistamines.

Honestly, it's wild how powerful either the adrenaline alone or that whole cocktail of meds was. My body went from bright red and blotchy back to looking totally normal within minutes. My blood pressure stabilized too, and the wheezing and coughing stopped.

I just thought, "man, chemistry is amazing." And I don't mean that like, "yay, drugs!" But I didn't really consider that adrenaline might have a downside. I'll admit I searched everything I could online, but I didn't go to a library. I doubt I would've understood much anyway if the books were too technical.

I'm wondering, though, what are the downsides to adrenaline? My experience was this sudden, miraculous improvement mixed with heart palpitations, but they told me you can get that from using an Albuterol inhaler too (like five times).

Kyle Gray43 said:So, my question is pretty straightforward: when someone is in massive pain—even with morphine running through them (usually at the end stages of cancer)—why isn't adrenaline used? I get that adrenaline can wreck your heart, liver, muscles, and all that, but if I’m going to die in two weeks anyway, why not just use it? From what I know, it's an incredibly powerful drug that could basically wipe out fear and pain entirely. Isn't it better to pass away without the agony and the panic? Wouldn't it be more humane to actually be able to hold a decent conversation? Could patients in those situations even request adrenaline injections?

Kyle Gray43, where can I find info on adrenaline? How do you actually know? Like, where can I verify this stuff about adrenaline causing damage? I've had to take an adrenaline shot twice because of anaphylaxis, so I'm curious. Thanks for the help, LP, Rachel Davis32

coastalowl80 said:I have allergic asthma. When I was a kid, I did skin prick tests—you know, where they drop potential allergens on your forearm to see how your blood reacts. Then two years ago, they just did blood work to measure my sensitivity levels. It turns out my dust mite levels were around 1000 something (don't ask), which was insanely high. Since then, I’ve been doing immunotherapy. The thing is, I don't feel any better. Not even a little bit. I have to order the injections from Germany via Austria (don't even get me started on the price), and they’re custom-made for each person. They barely even want to give them to me because apparently, they’re incredibly potent. I keep badgering my doctors about re-testing to see if there’s actually any progress, but they just keep promising it and then pushing it off. I know people who have been on this treatment for eight years. For some, it worked; for others, it didn't, and some ended up with a new allergy that was even worse than the first one. I’m about three weeks late on my last injection. I'm supposed to shorten the interval again before gradually moving back to once a month, but I honestly don't see the point. If you ask me, I’d rather just quit.
I guess I'm wondering if any of you have dealt with this before. Does anyone actually know much about it, or have any recommendations?

Hey. First off, sorry if my English is a bit rough. I’ve dealt with allergies and asthma personally. I actually had to stop immunotherapy recently because I went into anaphylactic shock for the second time after an injection. My doctor told me that if I kept going, the next reaction might be even worse. I had been doing hyposensitization for about two years now. In places like Canada, this treatment usually lasts three to five years. My primary care physician referred me to a pulmonologist and an allergist, and thanks to Medicare, I didn't have to pay anything for the shots or the testing. However, I had to get a new yearly authorization through the health system to qualify. Here, doctors only get a limited supply of the serum, so they basically hand-pick their patients. I was honestly just relieved to be chosen, since these allergy issues have been such a massive headache for me.

I used to get an injection every single week. After about a year, I finished up all four ampules and moved on to those so-called boosters. I guess my intervals between shots started stretching out—first to every 14 days, then eventually to every four or six weeks.

I’ve had pollen allergies since I was seven, and honestly, it’s been a nightmare. I'm 33 now, and while I used to struggle with milk, peaches, and strawberries, those issues eventually cleared up. But the pollen? That stays. It seems to get worse every single year. It’s brutal. My eyes itch, I can't stop sneezing, and my nose just runs constantly. I feel totally congested, breathing through my mouth, and some nights I actually feel like I'm suffocating. I deal with coughing and can't even taste food. Plus, whenever the blooming starts, my immune system tanks—I even end up getting herpes outbreaks. This whole mess usually drags on for about two months, and I guess it just leaves me feeling pretty depressed and wiped out.

I guess I have to say, I felt most of the positive changes during that first year. This year, I can actually breathe through my nose and speak normally without constant sneezing or a runny nose. I’m even out running again, though I try to stay off the grass. I still carry Ventolin around just out of habit, I suppose. The only issue was some itchy eyes, but I only had to take Claritin four times—not fifty times like I would have if I hadn't gone through immunotherapy.

I guess I’m feeling a bit down because I didn't exactly nail my therapy, so now I'm just stuck scouring the internet for info. That's how I ended up on this forum. Those two anaphylactic episodes I had weren't exactly a minor thing, either—that's a whole other story. I feel like a bit of a victim when I look back at how I was versus how I am now. Hopefully, things stay this way.

I read somewhere that immunotherapy works best if you're allergic to bee stings or grass pollen.

Best, George Myers9 from Canada!