Thread: Allergy Shots..........

My insurance through work covers mine. I'm not sure if that's common or not, but I'm very grateful!

WC - Thanks for the input. Makes me want to start them even more. I just need to make the call and get started.

Lord I've had very bad allergies since I was a kid, you name it and I'm prolly allergic to it.. I get shots twice a year for them, without them I wouldn't be able to breath..

BD,

Have you taken them yet?? I am curious as to your thoughts. My only hesitation right now is 1) I am going to have to drop my hours a bit in the Spring/Summer to wrap up school and I therefore will be losing my insurance Also I don't have the time or energy to go once a week to get a shot.

Right now I'm on Zyrtec and Flonase. It seems to be working but it seems to dry me up a bit too much and I can't quite figure out when to stop and start it

GAH

I haven't. I've procrastinated for no good reason. I just gotta make the call. I work on a University campus and can get the shots done at our Health Services clinic so it's pretty convenient. I'm taking Zyrtek and using Nasonex right now. Seems to be working well.

I too have suffered with allergies and feel they are worsening as I age. I"m on allergy meds almost all year; Allegra(antihistamine) and Flonase (corticosteroid nasal spray). Some times I even have to double up w/ Dayquil / Nyquil to keep from coughing. I note which allergens are high in my area of town and bingo I know what ones don't like me. It's a progressive thing and it can become a cold to sinus infection, to bronchitis, to pneumonia. Twice(2) requiring hospitalization and three(3) time "walking" pneumonia.

This last year I got so congested the roof of my mouth was bulging inside the oral cavity. I knew something was wrong really wrong. Went to an E N T Specialist, who discovered that the reason I couldn't breathe and had a sinus infection (that grossed me out) was I had my right sinus showed by CT x-ray to have polyps. Now I know why I couldn't breathe and had a sinus infection after infection; more and more antibiotics, causing me concern about becoming antibiotic resistant. My right sinus was FILLED w/ polyps, not just one or two. They HAD to come out via sinus surgery. Thru day surgery and general anesthesia, I had the much needed surgery to remove all the polyps and open the turbinates for better breathing. It was rough the first few night breathing thru your mouth sitting up to sleep, and blood clots deciding to drop w/o notice, but I feel MUCH better. My next stop is shots. I am not happy to get shots, but know just how sick I get and know they put minute amounts of the allergen in the suspension that is injected in me, causing the body to be stimulated to alert the white cells ("soldier"cells of our bodies) to mass produce mucus to push out the allergens. They have to monitor me/ you for anaphylaxis (an allergic response of shortness of breath, which is life threatening). I don't want to be on the way home and behind the wheel when I discover I can't breathe. I know several people who claim it was a God send to get the immunotherapy, others claim it was not that effective. My Mother had to do the allergy shots, but after seeing her lack of anaphylaxis, the MD allowed her to administer them to herself or train my Dad on an orange to give her the shot. he gave her the vial of serum, which was stored in our refrigerator and we were not allowed to touch it. It did help her. I blame her for passing on her propensity for allergy sensitivities. Ha Ha. Wish all other sufferers to to research a "Top Doc" in your area, starting w/ an ENT, just in case there are physical reasons you have so many allergies and/ or sinus infections. He or she should be able to refer you to an Allergist. Good to all.