Allergy Shot Experiences

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Titchou

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"I am waiting for the package to read it and see how much it costs and if it is covered by my insurance."

If I remeraber correctly, in one of your posts you stated you were 70 years old. Why would Medicare not cover this for you? I know older people on it.
 
Hi,

My doctor is (strongly) recommending that I get allergy shots (Rush immunotherapy). I have allergies and allergic asthma...I sorta take a lot of medication to control both the allergies and asthma. From the information my doctor gave me, it seems like a good idea...decrease medication usage and symptoms, keep the cat, etc. I've looked up allergy shots on the Internet and it seems like all I see is how people have had bad reactions to the injections.

I'm wondering if there are any people here who have done Rush immunotherapy and what their experiences were. What was your Rush day like? Was it ok? Did you have bad reactions? What were the weekly shots like? Overall did you get the results you expected? How does your medication usage now compare to before you did Rush immunotherapy? Was your dose of asthma controller medication reduced? Do you still take allergy medication? If you go to other areas are you allergic to new things? Well, you get the idea...I have a ton of questions.

Any information and/or a description of your experience would be wonderful.

Gobble Gobble.
 
I had the standard 5 year regimen of shots 3 times in my life (I'm almost 64 now). They worked great for me. At about 2 years each time I no longer needed any meRABfor my allergies. I'm already on minimum Asthma meRAB (1 puff of Flovent a day). As for reactions, i would ocassionally have a bump come up on my arm but that was it. I did take an antihistamine the day of my shots. I have no idea about the Rush regimen as I don't know anyone who has done that, What kind of doctor are you seeing?
 
The girl at their office wasn't sure whether or not the vials of Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) allergen drops were covered by Medicare or not.

You seem to know for sure that it is covered. Thanks for the info! :)

However...... if my do-it-yourself Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) treatments work as well as they have been working, I won't need to worry about the cost, and I won't have to pay to get the lab work to test my blood for allergies. :D
 
I see an allergy/asthma/immunology specialist who treats my allergies and asthma. Why did you do the shot series 3 times?
 
I just read a recent article that states that there is no FDA approved formulation and no CPT (billing code) for SLIT and that Medicare specifically states that it does not cover Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT).

Are you sure that it is covered by Medicare and that your older frienRAB are being reinbursed for SLIT?

I would have to believe that you are correct and that the article is wrong because you have no reason to pass on wrong information. I will do a little more research into this reinbursement subject. Perhaps I'll get the answer when I get the SLIT package in the mail.

Take care.... have a nice day! :wave:
 
Because they don't last forever for most people...I seem to get max benefits for about 10 years and then start getting allergy symptoms again. I did them in my teens, 30's and 50's. They also tend not to work quite as well on the older population - probably due to otherwise compromised immune systems besides just the allergies.
 
I never said that Medicare was paying for it...just that I knew older people on it. I was assuming, knowing their circumstances, that Medicare was paying for it.
 
I went through a couple of years of shots for my nasty sinus allergies and the shots really helped, but they seemed to bring on my asthma and increase my heart palpitations, especially after getting an injection.

Currently I am looking into SLIT, where instead of injecting the Allergen into the body, the patient does it at home using drops. You get a bottle of Allergen Drops in the mail, and you place a couple of drops under the tongue. I am waiting for the package to read it and see how much it costs and if it is covered by my insurance.

In fact, I am currently going doing Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) treatments at home, and, so far the experience has been good. At this point, I am very pleased! :D

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is supposed to be a lot safer than the shots (SCIT), although the science is still in it's infancy and there are more questions about SLIT than answers, at this time.



Besides the shots (SCIT), I've also had Acupuncture to treat my sinuses and asthma, and I've gone on a strict diet, and I am only taking one snort of Asthma Medication per day (Flovent 110).



I take one snort of Flonase per day in each nostril to keep my sinuses free and clear. It works. But, I also have to avoid the allergy triggers.



If I leave to go to a different area, let's say, on vacation, when I leave my allergies get better, but when I come back there is Hell to pay. I would guess that when you go to another area, you pick up a lot of different allergens and have, let's say, a mild reaction, but when you come back, the corabination of the allergens from the other place, plus the allergens back home, give a cumulative and much nastier reaction than normal! :eek: :dizzy:
 
Rush Immunotherapy is done with both the Shots (SCIT) and the allergen drops under the tongue (SLIT).

I've printed out a long document on allergen drops under the tongue, Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), which I intend to read thoroughly on the throne later, to get more information about SLIT. Personally, my allergies are feeling pretty good today, and so am I, which is a total and pleasant surprise. ;)

You're concerned about bad reactions to the shots. Well.... even though the jury is still out on how best to prescribe SLIT and how effective it is, SLIT is safe enough for patients to do at home! :D

SLIT has been used in Europe for years and is widely used in Europe to de-sensitize patients with allergies.


How do you feel about SLIT? Too new to try? Need more info? Of course, one major problem is that it might not be covered by your health insurance.

At any event, regarRAB and best of health! :wave:
 
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