Allergy shots, or Immunotherapy (IT), are a series of injections to control allergy symptoms. Allergy shots are not a medication. They are a vaccine prepared individually for you, based on your skin test results and symptoms. In an allergic person, the immune system is responding inappropriately to the environment. This results in allergic reactions like sneezing, itching, congestion, and wheezing. Receiving allergy shots desensitizes allergic patients to their specific allergens and is the only way to "turn off" the immune system's allergic reactions. During immunotherapy, the patient will gradually develop a stronger tolerance of his or her allergens. With allergy shots, your allergy symptoms can be decreased, minimized or even eliminated.

A conventional immunotherapy schedule consists of weekly injections for approximately six months.  This may be a deterrent for individuals with busy lifestyles or frequent travel plans.  If you have thought about allergy injections but couldn’t due to a busy schedule, rush immunotherapy may be right for you. This is an accelerated program that rapidly desensitizes your body’s immune system and allows you to reach higher doses of allergen immunotherapy in just one day.  This may save you months of time, and you may feel better faster, too.  Rapid desensitization may increase the risk of an allergic reaction to injections during the procedure. Medications are provided in advance to minimize this risk. Following your rapid desensitization day, injections are continued at weekly doses until reaching maintenance.

An accelerated schedule may be beneficial for you if:

• Your schedule does not allow weekly injections
• You have not been able to reach maintenance dose with conventional immunotherapy due to systemic reactions or time constraints
• Your asthma cannot be adequately controlled for a prolonged period but can be controlled long enough to receive an accelerated schedule

Your allergist will determine if you are a candidate for rush immunotherapy.  
 
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