Hyposensitization

Thanks, redcrane6. I'm heading to the coast for a bit, so I'll check back later to see what's happening. At first glance, I really like this medication, even though you know how skeptical I can be.
I haven't reached legal age yet, but since it's coming up soon, I don't think there should be any issues...
Best,

By the way, my thanks to the moderator 😁

velvetwolf92 said:I went through it myself about 10 years ago. It actually helped me. I was dealing with asthma, chronic bronchitis, or something along those lines—not really sudden attacks, more like just a constant, nagging condition...

Look, I’m definitely no expert on all this medical jargon, but I have to ask for some help here. This "hyposensitization" thing—is that basically the process where they gradually expose you to higher and higher concentrations of the allergen so your body finally learns how to fight back and build up some resistance???
Does anyone happen to know where I can go for private testing (to actually pinpoint the source of the allergy) to get some answers???!!!

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!

granitebadger25 said:I am always surprised that even today, with such effective asthma medications available, people still opt for immunotherapy... there really isn't a need for it.
There are several pulmonary clinics for asthma in New York City where you can consult with doctors regarding optimal therapy. Nowadays, in most cases, asthma is not a problem to manage with inhalers... immunotherapy only makes sense if you are being treated at a private practice (which benefits them, not you)... they can charge you handsomely for every visit, along with the allergen supplies, so at least someone is satisfied with the outcome. 🙄

Allegra, what you are saying is nonsense. I am 19 years old, and for 12 years, I went regularly two or three times a week for immunotherapy at Srebrenjak. The more often you go, the more antibodies your body produces, and you gradually improve because your system "learns" to handle the allergy and stops reacting to it. My advice is to endure those 20 minutes of waiting for the treatment, because it truly helped me. I have struggled with allergic asthma since I was two years old, and it is much easier now thanks to immunotherapy. If you find weekly visits too difficult, there are certain injections that can be purchased and administered once a month which also help, though they are quite expensive. I am not sure of the exact name, but it is best to consult your pulmonologist. I recommend Dr. Raos at Srebrenjak. He is certainly the best, so if you are under 18, head straight to that hospital, as their quality is far superior to other facilities.🙂

I was wondering if anyone here has gone through allergy immunotherapy specifically for ragweed? My doctor over at the Holy Spirit hospital has put me on a treatment plan using TaMix Top from Bencard, which involves injections that I’m scheduled to start in early June. Currently, the process involves ordering the medication through a pharmacy near Dolac in New York City, and the total cost for the therapy comes out to about $185, with a waiting period of roughly 30 days. From what I’ve heard, the costs abroad are significantly lower, but since this local pharmacy doesn't really face any competition, they seem to have a bit of a monopoly on it. If anyone happens to know of a way to source this medication more affordably or has some tips on navigating the costs, please let me know! I'd really appreciate it!

I've never actually done immunotherapy myself since I deal with a mix of allergies—you can't just do a general desensitization when everything hits you at once. I know plenty of people who tried targeting just one specific allergen, and honestly, it did zero for them. So, sure, maybe ragweed shots will work for you, but a word of advice: if you're also dealing with pollen, grass, dust mites, mold, or even smoke, go talk to an actual allergist before you drop a bunch of cash. It’s all about how much that ragweed specifically messes with you. For me, it was a nightmare two years ago, then last year? Barely noticed it. Anyway, good luck—definitely let me know if it actually works. 👋

My son just finished up his allergy immunotherapy for dust mites this past Monday, and man, what a marathon that was! It went on for four and a half years straight without a single break—first he was going in twice a week for an entire year, then once a week for another year, then we scaled back to twice a month for a year, and finally just once a month for the home stretch. Honestly, there were moments where I thought we’d be doing this forever! He just had his follow-up allergy workup, and while we’re still waiting on those IGE levels to come back, his prick test actually showed a measurable 3mm reaction to dust mites for the very first time in his life. Personally, I’m a huge believer that this kind of immunotherapy is going to make a massive difference for you, so my best advice is to stick to the schedule they give you religiously—trust me, it is absolutely worth the effort.

The whole process for him was fully covered by Medicare, and if I know anything about how these things work, I'd bet they cover ragweed immunotherapy through Medicare too—it probably won't be using TaMix Top specifically, but it is definitely worth calling around to ask about your options.

My son is currently coordinating with his doctor to start immunotherapy to manage his dust mite allergies.
I was wondering if anyone here has any firsthand experience with this process?
Initially, he was told there would be out-of-pocket costs involved, but now he’s hearing it might be fully covered by insurance.
He’s actually studying in New York City right now, so he plans to undergo the treatment there, though he needs to have nasal surgery first to fix some congestion caused by narrow nasal passages.
Thankfully, his allergy hasn't ever led to anaphylaxis, but looking at his recent lab results, everything seems to be hovering right on the edge; he showed slightly elevated levels for cats and dogs too, but they are deciding to focus the immunotherapy strictly on dust mites since that's his primary trigger.

If anyone here has some recent experience with this,
does anyone have any advice or perhaps a few observations they could share right here?
I am genuinely curious to hear from people who have actually gone through desensitization therapy.

Hi there, Aaron Collins25! I don't have much firsthand experience with this yet, but my daughter is currently receiving treatment at Srebrenjak under Dr. Plavec. He’s recommended we try hyposensitization, so I’ve already ordered the medication she’ll need. Once they give us the call, we'll be heading over to Brežice to pick everything up since the supply is sourced from France—that should happen in about one or two weeks. We're looking at roughly $100 per dose, which should actually cover her for an entire year. As for the hyposensitization itself, it’s a marathon, not a sprint; she’s looking at a three-year commitment. I’ve been spending plenty of time scouring various forums reading through people's experiences, and let me tell you, the stories are all over the map. It's a real mixed bag out there, but I am holding onto the hope that this will finally be the solution she needs.

My son is 20 years old, and his doctor over at the Holy Spirit hospital in New York City is actually quite optimistic about his outlook
He mentioned that the spirometry results look solid, so the prognosis in his case seems pretty positive overall
The plan is for him to undergo hyposensitization, which should take somewhere between three to five years to fully resolve
On top of everything else, he’s been dealing with some atopic dermatitis (neurodermatitis) on his skin, but the doctor believes it's directly linked
We’re really holding out hope that if we can clear up this allergy, those skin issues might just vanish along with it

Looking back through some of the previous posts here, I see there have been plenty of success stories, so we’re staying hopeful that things will turn out okay for him too
He’s dreaming of finally finishing up his studies and getting rid of this allergy once and for all—that would honestly be the greatest thing ever, and as his mom, I couldn't wish for anything more

My daughter is eleven years old, and according to our doctor, she’s looking at a three-year treatment plan just to get to a baseline. Even then, we’re hoping for at least ten years of stability afterward, though they did mention that in most cases, the body eventually learns to manage the allergy on its own. Her biggest triggers right now are cats, dust mites, and general dust, plus she’s dealing with vasomotor rhinitis on top of everything else. I am rooting for everyone here—I truly wish you all nothing but successful treatments!

I am really holding onto the hope that his condition will see some significant improvement following the hyposensitization process.
@Amanda Lopez7, I’m sending you my very best wishes for your health and a complete, full recovery.

So, for the last three years, I've been dealing with some pretty brutal allergic rhinitis symptoms. Then yesterday, after feeling like my breathing was getting a bit hitched, I went in for a spirometry test with a Ventolin challenge—turns out I’ve got asthma on top of everything else. Since my current routine isn't really cutting it (I'm currently on Claritin spray and Allegra), I've started looking into allergy shots/immunotherapy. Does anyone know where I can actually get that done around here, and does it honestly work? Has anyone here gone through the process?