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Frequently Asked Questions
About
Allergy Drops
Allergy drops (sublingual immunotherapy) have
been used in the U.S. for more than 35 years, with research dating back 40 years. Its use dates approximately 100 years in
some parts of the world. Yet many allergy sufferers have heard little about this treatment option. Thanks to an increase in
European research over the past decade and tremendous growth in the use of allergy drops worldwide, we now have valid scientific
evidence that corroborates what many have known for decades-allergy drops are both safe and effective. Sublingual immunotherapy
will likely prove to be one of the most important innovations in allergy treatment in the past century. Until allergy drops
are more widely available in the U.S. and more resources are dedicated to educating providers and patients about allergy drops,
it's important to understand the facts about this treatment to help you determine whether it's the right course of treatment
for you.
Who should take allergy drops?
Although most allergy sufferers can benefit
from allergy drops, they're especially ideal for people who can't tolerate or don't respond to allergy shots, as well as people
who are unable to commit to allergy shot therapy. These people include:
Infants and children*
Asthmatics
Highly sensitive people
Those with chronic conditions including sinusitis
People with food and mold allergies
People with multiple allergies including dust, pollen, animals
*Allergy drops have proven especially helpful
for children with eczema and recurrent ear infections, which often have underlying allergic causes. Research shows that many
children with untreated eczema and allergies often develop asthma and other chronic conditions later in life, so treating
them early can have life-long benefits.
What are the advantages of allergy drops?
In addition to being able to treat patients of all ages safely and effectively, there are other advantages to allergy drops.
Lower cost, fewer clinic visits. Compared to shots, allergy drops cost less and require fewer clinic visits. Most
patients receiving allergy drops need only a few clinic visits the first year, and once every 6-12 months thereafter until
visits are no longer needed.
More convenient. You can take allergy drops at home or wherever you need to be, making
it much easier to stay with your treatment.
Less medication. Our patients report, and research confirms, that most
patients find they need less medication to control symptoms after beginning allergy drops.
Enjoy healthier days.
The end benefit? Feeling better. Patients typically report fewer clinic visits and hospitalizations, and less time lost from
work and school, after taking their drops consistently.
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Are allergy drops safe? Is there research validating
their effectiveness?
Allergy drops have been used around the world for more than 60 years, and numerous
studies validate both the safety and effectiveness. In fact, the World Health Organization has endorsed sublingual immunotherapy
as a viable alternative to injection therapy.
The Cochrane Collaboration, the world's most-trusted international organization
dedicated to reviewing healthcare treatments, recently concluded allergy drop immunotherapy significantly reduced allergy
symptoms and use of allergy medications. I've
heard that allergy drops are not approved by the FDA. Is that safe?
First, it's important to understand that the antigens used in allergy drops are the same FDA-approved antigens used in allergy
shots. They're also prepared in the same way as allergy shots. The difference is the route of administration-a dropper that
delivers the antigen under the tongue versus a syringe injecting antigen into tissue.
Currently, antigens are labeled
by the FDA for use through injections. Using them for sublingual immunotherapy is an "off-label" use of an FDA-approved
biologic, which is both legal and highly common. Most physicians prescribe "off-label" use of a myriad of drugs
today, for example, the use of blood pressure medications for migraines, aspirin for heart conditions, or the use of arthritis
drugs for the treatment of shingles.
If drops are so effective, why don't more patients receive
them?
Allergy drops are widely accepted as an effective treatment throughout the world. In fact, 50-75 percent
of allergy sufferers in southern Europe are treated with allergy drops. That acceptance is growing throughout the world, and
is beginning to grow in the United States as the treatment becomes more widely available.
How long
will I need to take my drops?
Most patients take allergy drops each day for three to five years, but it
varies according to the severity of your allergies and the seasonality. Many patients report improvement within a few months.
How long can I expect the effects of allergy drops to last?
A benefit of immunotherapy-whether
it's allergy shots or allergy drops-is that it can alter the course of allergic disease by treating the root cause, not just
the symptoms. Key studies have already been conducted to explore the long-lasting effect of allergy drops, including a 10-year
prospective study on children with asthma that demonstrated drops maintained effectiveness long after treatment had stopped.
The key to ensuring the effects last is compliance, which is an additional benefit of allergy drops. Studies show
that patients taking allergy drops tend to stay with their treatment 90 percent of the time, which is significantly higher
than with other routes of treatment. Why is compliance so much higher? Patients appreciate the convenience of being able to
take their drops wherever they are, eliminating the need to make frequent clinic visits and the savings in time and money
that result. They also tend to see improvement within one to three months, which motivates them to continue a treatment that
leaves them continuing to feel better.
But even the best treatments won't work if you don't stay with them. Like
allergy shot treatment, it's important to stay with allergy drop treatment until your doctor has determined treatment can
be discontinued. A typical patient will continue treatment for three to five years, depending upon the severity of allergic
problems.
Continuing with your treatment will help you reap the long-term rewards. A recent study showed that
the use of allergy drops with children can significantly lessen the development of asthma later in life-as much as an 80 percent
decrease than found in patients who haven't had immunotherapy. These findings are consistent with the Pediatric Asthma Treatment
study done by leading European researchers who found similar results with injection therapy.
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