Need Opinion on Immunotherapy for a Child

The shots are definitively better for several reasons, one is they are only to the things she's allergic to, instead of the oral which is meant to suppress the entire immune response that is over-activated in the presence of the allergen, you would never give her cold medicine with a cough suppressant if she didn't have a cough, you would give her just what she needs, this is the same thing. The other thing is that most allergy medicines, especially the good ones have some level of steroid in them and that is especially dangerous to a growing child there are lots of scientific studies showing delayed growth after prolonged use. Also, in the beginning the shots are frequent, but then they spread apart to once a month. One shot a month to prevent her from getting sick and not having to constantly be medicated.

hi H.,
my son's been on these shots for years. he's just now to the point where he only needs them once a month. his seasonal allergies were so terrible, playing outside in the grass in spring and fall were just out of the question for him. now he can mow the lawn! they've worked text-book perfectly.
the downside is that he has developed allergies to almost all fruits. he can eat them cooked (ie apple pies), but not raw. and weirdly, he can eat peanuts, but peanut butter sets his mouth itching and his throat closing. so we've got an epi-pen now, just in case, although this has not yet been life-threatening.
the allergy doc says it's coincidental. i'm not so sure. i noticed that the week after we reported this, there was a notice up requesting that patients report symptoms of fruit allergies after starting the shot regimen. and now that he's taking fewer shots, he's noticed that he can tolerate more in the fruit realm.
now, all of this last is unsubstantiated, but something to keep in mind. it may well be that the seasonal allergies are so bad that the risk is worthwhile. my kid (now almonst 18) says that being able to do outdoor sports and fun things is a good trade-off.
khairete
S.

I would check the ingredience making sure there are no hidden things like mercury and other chemical they put in the child shots.
A great immune up-per is a good Protien powder such as Jarrow! Also just eating sugar lowers the immune system, 1 TBS up to six hours.
That's my thoughts!

Hyland's Hayfever http://www.hylands.com You can find it at Moms Organic Market or any health food store. If they don't have it in stock, you can order it there.

Please try this natural product, and see if it works for her before you resort to the therapy. I had really bad allergies, and was even allergic to the shots. I tried this product and my symptoms cleared up immediately. I gave it to a friend and it worked great for her too. I also stopped drinking milk. Now, I only use this product when necessary. Rarly do my allegies cause problems anymore. If you choose the therapy, ask the doctor if it has mercury or other metals in it that may be harmful to your child.

Immunotherapy is actually an outstanding method to control allergies. It persuades the immune system to treat the allergens in a different fashion, to stop making the harmful response to them. It is far better than dosing with drugs that do not prevent the cause, only treat the symptoms. It will strengthen her immune system for the "path" that is protective for all antigens (including those from diseases) and turn it from the crazy allergy path.

Immunotherapy is only useful for allergies where there are good extracts available, so you are lucky that this is an option for her. I wish it were available for my allergies!

Hi H.,

I've been on shots myself since I was 1 year old - I am now 37. I do notice a difference when I don't use them. In fact since the weather around here is getting so Spring like I started my shots again the other day. My girls are also on shots. My oldest has been since she was 3 - she's 12 now and my youngest since about 18 months and she's 8 now. My mom, brother and father are all on shots. Going "natural" for us is not an option since many of the "natural" things we are all allergic to - be careful of this if you are in the same boat. I read many labels when my girls were little and when their allergies acted up really bad (Spring, Fall) I had to cut many things out of their diets and bump up the frequency of their shots. Good luck - trust your doctor - if you don't find one you do since you will be dealing with this for a long time. My first Allergist I had for 35 years and the only reason we no longer see him is he passed away.

I don't have any particular advice -- actually, I'm interested in seeing the responses because I'm considering shots for two of my sons. I just wanted to comment about some of the other responses! The shots are already a more "natural" way to go -- it's not a drug therapy, they apparently just inject miniscule amounts of the allergens involved. The danger is that the patient may have a life-threatening allergic reaction to the shot(supposedly very rare). Has that happened to anyone? What I would also like to know is: Is it more effective than the medications? Is it effective enough to be worth the investment of time / money? Lastly, in regard to the first couple responses, people with allergies do not need their immune systems "upped." The problem is that their immune systems are OVER active, and react to things that are not really a threat.

H.,

Has your doctor suggested any foods that might help her immune system? Fresh Garlic, Onions and other spices are really good for boosting the immune system as are citrus fruits that have vitamin C in them like oranges. My whole family has seasonal allergies and we do everything else possible to not have to take meds just because there is so much our bodies can do naturally. If you haven't already, I'd suggest looking into natural ways to fight allergies and like the previous post suggested, so you don't have to worry about chemicals that you don't want your child to have. Hope this helps and God Bless.

I highly recommend the shots. They worked extremely well for me. I suffered for 20+ years with chronic coughing, which was always misdiagnosed as bronchitis and treated ineffectively with antibiotics. When I finally got to an asthma & allergy specialist, I found out that I was allergic to nearly every tree, grass, and weed pollen, as well as dust, cats, and all types of mold. All the years of constant exposure to my various allergens led to asthma, which I now have to control with a daily inhaler. Would I have ended up with asthma if I’d been correctly diagnosed and treated for the allergies at an early age? I don’t know the answer to that. You’ll have to ask your doctor if treating your daughter’s allergies now will prevent respiratory problems such as asthma later on.

I’ve taken the allergy shots now for almost 3 years. I’m probably almost done with them – at my next appointment; he’ll re-test me to see if I’m still sensitive to any of those allergens. Yes, it’s a huge time commitment, but well worth it. The spring and fall pollens hardly bother me anymore. I can cuddle my cats. I can breathe easily. As far as I know the only risk would be if she had a reaction to the shot. They’re very, very careful about that – they’ll start her off with a very weak solution and build up gradually. Plus, she’ll have to sit in the waiting room for 15-20 minutes after the shots to make sure she doesn’t have a reaction, and if she does, she can be treated on the spot.

I would have to agree with Karen B and Elizabeth D regarding natural remedies before putting anything foreign into a child's body. Also you might want to see about finding a homeopathic doctor or a holisitic doctor that treats the entire patient and not just the symptoms. A Va Beach holisitic doctor is Dr. Stephanie Story but I am not sure that she takes insurance.
I personally had to get the shots on a regular basis for years growing up and into high school and it was miserable for me. I am not sure that they helped completely because I still have allergies even though I got the shots for what seemed like my entire childhood. They started me out on two shots a week, in each arm and by the time I was in high school it was one every month (I think). Sometimes kids grow out of their allergies and other times they develop new ones.
Good luck I hope you find what works for her.

Hello H.,

My suggestion is to go on-line and research N.A.E.T. (Nebudrapauds Allergy Elimination Technique) a simple, non invasive alternative treatment http://www.naet.com/. Most accupuncturists now offer this technique (no needles are ever used). Just find someone in your area and try it. You will be amazed with just one treatment,your child will no longer react to their allergen treated! It worked for me personally and my family over the years. Once an allergy is desensitized, it does not return. With traditional medicine, you have to keep going back for shots etc. which can be painful to your child and your schedule.

And H., be sure to eat organic. If you are not, the soil your produce comes from is depleted of minerals, your produce seeds have been spliced (genetically modified) with many herbicides and pesticides and other things that all set you and your family up for liver toxicity. An overloaded liver is the reason so many people now suffer from allergies and never did before. Know your food sources and what you are eating. There are so many toxins that you can avoid. Why not control what you can to avoid these things.

To learn more about health and healing naturally visit my website www.WholeHealthyLiving.com

Best wishes.

the shots will boost her immune system
my oldest has horrible allergies and we did shots for about a year but he was so tramatized by the weekly shots that i stopped them...there are no risks to the shots except possible reactions to the pollens they are giving her. basically they are slowly building her resistance and teaching her body that these allergens are not bad for her body so her body doesn't react. if your daughter can deal with the shots then i highly recommend them.
good luck

I took the shots for years. No improvement until I had my first chold. I had an allergist when I was a teen who said that would happen and it did. Lucky for her she's a girl and she has a long term shot at improvement. when I was little the medicines made me sleepy and it was hard for school. today's medicines are much better.