Tell me about your allergist...

MelissaOrlando

I heard that some allergists do their allergy tests through blood tests now. I also heard that instead of allergy shots, there is "allergy serum" or something now???

Have any of you had any of this? If so, what did you think? Where did you go?

Thanks!!!

SunMoon&Stars

Hey MO! *waves*

So, for testing: DH had his done with a blood test rather than the skin prick testing I had years ago.  Much easier to tolerate.

For shots: DH doesn't get them, and I stopped getting then years ago, so I'm not 100% sure...BUT I was under the impression that the fluid injected for shots was known as serum. Maybe it's administered a new way now, as opposed to injections....not sure, sorry.

Oh,and we went to Orlando ENT, at the Lake Underhill location, Dr. Rabaja.

MelissaOrlando

Hey Thanks for the recommendation!

I thought this serum is a drop you put under your tongue. Maybe I made it up in my imagination. LOL.

I hope you're doing well!

stumpy

I am WAY late on this . . . sorry. (I was out of town) Blood test are not the gold standard . . . the "scratch" test is the best way to find out for most known allergens. Obviously it doesn't work on all of them, but it pretty much is the preferred method. (I have had allergies for severals several years and have known lots of ENT's and allergists and all agree that the pin prick test is the way you start. (One ENT just gave a lecture at my school about this very topic)

Dr. Anderson is wonderful.

I had really really bad allergies and that office was a godsend! I tried several meds and eneded up taking shots b/c my allergies were so bad. (Basiclaly the build up your immunity . . . give you a small amount of the allergen and build up your tolerance) I had to take two shots in each arm twice a week . . . yep, 8 shots a week. Granted, it took a little while to build up to that, but they kept me there for a good amount of time. Then, my allergies got better and I just stopped going. I had about a year more to go with the shots but honestly I have been doing pretty well ever since. (Yes, I know have allergy induced asthma, but that is another story. It is really more scent and fragrance related than anything . . . I just HATE perfumes and scents of any kind. They make me sick.)

Anyway, there is a newer kind of therapy that is for serious serious allergies anti IgE therapy. (It sounds complicated but it really isn't -- if you know anything about allergies, you probably already know about IgE)

Good luck. Again, sorry to come in so late!

MelissaOrlando

Thanks for the info!

I HATE the scratch test. Last time I did it was in high school... it's like medieval torture! I was also prescribed 4 shots twice a week. I went for about a month and said "I don't feel any different" and they told me "well, no. You MAY start to see a difference in 6 months". At that point, I was out. I'm not willing to put myself through that. I took allergy shots for 5 years as a kid and I'm still allergic to everything on earth.

I've never heard of IgE, but I haven't been to an allergist in 12 years... so that could be why. I also have asthma, so I take Claritin (allergies) and Singulair (asthma and allergies), and it seems to work ok. But I would like to improve my overall health, and toyed around with the possibility of returning to an allergist.

Ugh - can't they just come up with ONE shot that tells my body that this stuff does not pose a threat? LOL.

Thanks for the info...