The photographs themselves are fairly simple, consultants say—you may anticipate an injection within the pores and skin of your arm, like a flu shot—however this isn’t a one-and-done remedy. “The tough half is displaying up,” Dr. Agarwal says. Through the so-called “buildup section,” you’ll have to be at your allergist’s workplace weekly (and possibly even a number of occasions per week!) for injections that regularly ramp up in dosage. This stage often takes about three to 6 months, however it could actually final so long as 10 relying on the dose you’re given.

Subsequent comes the “upkeep section”: At this level, your injections will in all probability be bi-weekly and finally month-to-month. However you’ll need to proceed displaying up for years to take care of your outcomes—three to 5 is fairly typical, based on the American Faculty of Allergy, Bronchial asthma & Immunology. And this section, too, can last more for some folks.

All to say that it gained’t precisely be a breeze to construct this remedy into your schedule. So if OTC meds are working fairly properly, the time dedication will not be price it for you.

If you’re a candidate for SLIT, there’s one large benefit: You’ll be able to take the tablets or drops at dwelling, which implies no schlepping to the physician’s workplace for years.

You should still must take antihistamines.

Round 80% of people that get allergy photographs see a serious enchancment, whereas 60% proceed to expertise advantages years later. However whereas some persons are fortunate sufficient to not want OTC meds after ending their injections, others should must take antihistamines sometimes.

In case your signs have been actually extreme or treatment-resistant, allergy photographs should really feel properly well worth the effort in the long run. But when they enchantment to you primarily since you don’t need to at all times be taking medicine, you need to know that there’s an opportunity you continue to may need to.

You additionally won’t expertise speedy outcomes. Whereas signs begin easing for some folks through the buildup section, “it might take so long as 12 to 18 months on the upkeep dose for others to note,” says Dr. Agarwal.

They don’t work for all allergy symptoms.

Sadly, this sort of immunotherapy gained’t assist should you react to meals, like peanuts. They appear to work greatest for environmental allergy symptoms, like these triggered by mud mites, mould, and seasonal allergens like grass, weeds, and bushes. They will additionally assist with allergic bronchial asthma or insect stings. So if in case you have a extreme response to bee, hornet, or wasp stings, which will be fairly scary and require an Epi-Pen jab, you would possibly go this route.

For those who like to be round cats or canine however they set off your signs, there’s much less proof that the photographs will do the trick, based on Dr. Doherty, though some medical doctors nonetheless advocate them. “There may be some optimistic information to help their use for pet allergy symptoms in the correct sufferers,” he says. Your doc may additionally recommend off-label SLIT droplets, since these could assist cat and canine allergy symptoms.

There’s a small threat of a response.

Fortunately, it’s uncommon to expertise a critical response to allergy photographs. However as a result of the injections do include tiny quantities of allergen, it’s attainable to have one. To be secure, your physician will ask you to remain on the workplace for at the least half-hour after every injection to maintain a watch out for issues like hives, itching, wheezing, and shortness of breath. (This, too, provides to the general time dedication!)

They are often costly.

If heading to the physician like 4 occasions a month for years on finish seems like you might be drowning in co-pays (should you even have medical health insurance), you’ll be right.