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How Long Should One Continue Allergy Shots?
Yes, my son has been taking allergy shots for over five years now. He takes two shots every four weeks. He is now sixteen years old and his school/sports schedule makes it hard to keep up with it. On top of that the allergy doctor seems to have to many patients to keep up with. Can he just stop taking shots or do you have to be weaned off them?
Thu, 18 Dec 2014
Hello,
Thank you for asking at HCM.
I went through your son's history and would like to make suggestions for him as follows:
1. In general, for allergy shots, the more longer you continue, more longer the benefits last. Minimum duration of allergy shots is 3-5 years, but sometimes life long treatment is necessary. This depends upon what allergy he has, for what allergic disorder he is put on allergy shots, how the response of treatment has been (how much improvement), etc.
2. Before planning to stop allergy shots, I also suggest my patients allergy testing for the allergen for which shots were given. The size of allergic reaction also might help deciding the duration of allergy shots.
3. As such there is no "weaning" for allergy shots but if it is possible to stay symptom free with minimum number of shots, it is desirable to continue them.
4. So, to summarize, this is a highly individualized decision that requires a lot of information about the patients as well as discussion about pros and cons between doctor and patient/parents.
Personally I would suggest you not to stop allergy shots by yourself, discuss the inconvenience with your allergist-immunologist and then decide further.
Hope above information will be helpful to you.
Should you have any further query, please feel free to ask at HCM.
Wish your son the best of the healthy life ahead.
Thank you & regards.
Thank you for asking at HCM.
I went through your son's history and would like to make suggestions for him as follows:
1. In general, for allergy shots, the more longer you continue, more longer the benefits last. Minimum duration of allergy shots is 3-5 years, but sometimes life long treatment is necessary. This depends upon what allergy he has, for what allergic disorder he is put on allergy shots, how the response of treatment has been (how much improvement), etc.
2. Before planning to stop allergy shots, I also suggest my patients allergy testing for the allergen for which shots were given. The size of allergic reaction also might help deciding the duration of allergy shots.
3. As such there is no "weaning" for allergy shots but if it is possible to stay symptom free with minimum number of shots, it is desirable to continue them.
4. So, to summarize, this is a highly individualized decision that requires a lot of information about the patients as well as discussion about pros and cons between doctor and patient/parents.
Personally I would suggest you not to stop allergy shots by yourself, discuss the inconvenience with your allergist-immunologist and then decide further.
Hope above information will be helpful to you.
Should you have any further query, please feel free to ask at HCM.
Wish your son the best of the healthy life ahead.
Thank you & regards.
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