Nearly ten years ago, Clarity Allergy Center began offering sublingual allergy drops as a way to desensitize a person to their environmental allergies. The results were simply stunning for many patients. Symptoms literally disappeared within days of starting treatment. Over the last ten years- Clarity Allergy Center has developed an expertise in sublingual immunotherapy that is second to none in the Chicago land area. In the new era of high insurance deductibles and chaotic work/life schedules, allergy drops will likely become a common alternative to traditional allergy shots.

With fear of the corona virus spreading, allergy drops are the perfect option to treat environmental allergies. Only one or two visits are required to start treatment. The allergy drops can be taken at home without the need for weekly visits for allergy shots.

Sublingual allergy drops are a fast and convenient way to reduce a person’s allergy burden. It has been used extensively in Europe, Asia, and Australia to treat allergic respiratory disorders for decades, and is becoming more popular in the U.S. as well. It is currently endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an alternative to allergy shots.

Immunotherapy is the process by which a person is desensitized to their environmental allergies. This has traditionally been accomplished via allergy shots, with patients receiving in-office allergy injections over a 3-5 year period. Sublingual allergy drops, however, can be conveniently taken at home.

Clarity Allergy Center has been a pioneer in the use of sublingual allergy drops in the Chicagoland area for the last 10 years, having treated hundreds of patients over that time. We have expertise in both allergy drops and allergy shots and are in a unique position to be able to consult patients regarding either option.

Below is a series of Question & Answers for the commonly asked questions.This is based on treating hundreds of patients with allergy drops over the last 10 years.

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The post I am very curious about pet allergy drops. Can you share any additional information? appeared first on Allergist Chicago.

Cat dander

• Approximately 75% of people report a significant improvement with cat allergy drops. In those people that do respond, the symptom improvement ranges from 60-90%. A smaller number of people have a more modest treatment response. Many patients report a life changing response to their cat allergies and significant improvement can be seen within 2 weeks. Allergic reactions to cat allergy drops are very rare and are well tolerated in the overwhelming majority of patients.

Dog dander

• Approximately 50% of people report a significant improvement with dog allergy drops. In those that do respond, the symptom improvement ranges from 50-80%. Again- many patients have reported a “magical” improvement in their dog allergy symptoms in as soon as 2 weeks. However, the response rate is lower for those receiving allergy drops to dogs vs. those with cat allergies. This likely reflects a somewhat lower potency of dog allergen extracts compared to those for cats. Short of not having any dog exposure, however, there is no other treatment option as convenient as allergy drops that has the potential to be so effective. Systemic allergic reactions are very uncommon.
• We have started a trial program in which patients can receive a 3-month supply of allergy drops for their pet allergies for only $75. This is a sufficient time period to assess how well the allergy drops are working without taking a significant financial risk.

Tree/Ragweed/Grass pollen

• The response to pollen allergies can be dramatic with allergy drops. Approximately 75-85% respond significantly to treatment with the drops. The improvement ranges from 60-95% and can occur in as little as 2 weeks. Allergic reactions are still rare, but occur slightly more frequently following administration of allergy drops with pollen allergens. Many patients report an improvement in their seasonal allergies within days of starting treatment. Allergy drops are the fastest and most effective way to dramatically reduce all of the allergy symptoms associated with seasonal allergies.

Dust mites

• The response to dust mite allergies is very good. Approximately 60-80% of patients respond to dust mite allergy drops. The response for each patient ranges from 55-85%. Dust mite allergies can be considered in those people with year-round allergy symptoms. Like pet allergy drops, we offer an introductory trial for $75.

Mold 

• Mold allergies can certainly respond to allergy drops. The response rate is more variable for mold allergies then other environmental allergies. This is because the extracts used for mold allergy drops are not as potent as for some of the other allergens. Also, there are many mold allergens and allergen extract manufacturers have difficulty producing the full range of mold extracts.

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• FDA-approved sublingual allergy tablets
  • Out of the approximately 45 different allergens that are used for traditional immunotherapy with allergy shots, there are FDA- approved sublingual allergy tablets for three different allergens- dust mite, ragweed, and grass. These three commercially available products underwent the same FDA approval process that all traditional medications must go through and are prescribed and filled through traditional pharmacies.
• Sublingual allergy drops
  • Many allergy practices (like ours) offer sublingual allergy drops. The vaccines for the allergy drops are made in the lab of the individual allergy practices. We use the same FDA-approved allergy extracts that we use for the allergy shot vaccines. In this case, the route of administration of the allergy drops (under the tongue) is what is not FDA approved. The allergen extracts we use go through the standard FDA manufacturing approval process. Unlike the FDA-approved allergen tablets, we can use all of the environmental allergens needed to treat the full spectrum of environmental allergies.
• Are the FDA- approved allergy tablets widely used?No. Sales for the allergy tablets have been a big disappointment for the pharmaceutical industry and have not gained traction in clinical practice. The primary reason for this likely relates to the lack of real world utility. Only three allergens have been FDA approved. The vast majority of people have allergies to a wide range of environmental allergens and these FDA approved tablets are simply not practical for most people.Will there be more environmental allergens approved by the FDA?This is very doubtful. The clinical studies required to attain FDA approval are time consuming and very expensive. Given the disappointment of the commercially available FDA-approved allergen tablets, it is highly unlikely that pharmaceutical companies will be willing to undertake any further financial commitment in this space.

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Allergy drops can change the natural course of a persons’ allergies, inducing a state of long term tolerance to their allergies long after stopping the allergy drops.

In contrast, allergy medications can treat the allergy symptoms but will not alter the natural course of a person’s allergies.

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