Efficacy will vary from patient to patient but is comparable to allergy shots. About 85% of patients who use allergy drops report that their symptoms are either significantly reduced or eliminated. Some patients may see results more quickly than with shots (some patients may see results as soon as 2 months after starting their allergy drop treatment). 

Common side effects include itching of the mouth and very mild swelling.

More serious (and extremely rare side effects) would include a lump in the throat, throat tightness, wheezing, shortness of breath, hives, itching of the body, swelling, and feeling dizzy or lightheaded. We have never had patients report any of these symptoms but they could theoretically happen. If any of these symptoms occur within minutes up to 1 hour after using your drop- you must use your Epipen and report to the nearest emergency room. Reactions to allergy drops are extremely rare which is why these drops can be done at home but you must have an EpiPen with you at the time of drop administration and a minimum of 2 hours after the drops are given. There have been no reported deaths from allergy drops but reactions can rarely occur.

Just like allergy shots, treatment is recommended for 3-5 years.

We require a 14-month commitment as this is the period that is needed to know for sure that the treatment is working. The 14 month plan includes 4 maintenance bottles (with enough extract for 3 months each) plus a level 1 and level 2 bottle (“initial dilution”).

80-85% of our patients who use allergy drops report that their symptoms are either significantly reduced or eliminated. Some patients may see results more quickly than with shots (as soon as 2 months after starting drops.

When you check in with the provider at the end of the first 14 months, the provider will let you know how long you can expect to be on the treatment. This will depend on a number of factors including your allergy skin test results and how well you responded to the treatment. On average, patients are on their treatment for 3-5 years. 

Allergy drop patients are required to check in with the provider after 14 months, then every 12 months.  

No - this is because the tolerant antibodies that your body produces with immunotherapy (whether shots or drops) have been shown to last a minimum of 10 years. The longer you do the treatment, the longer the effects are expected to last, so we do recommend sticking to the 3-5 year regimen if your doctor recommends it.

Contraindications are very similar to allergy shots and other forms of immunotherapy. People who take beta blockers, those who have poorly controlled asthma, patients with a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis, pregnant women (previously not on drops), patients with active autoimmune conditions or cancers, and patients with a history of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) are not good candidates for allergy drops. 

The clinicians at Allergy and Asthma Care of Brooklyn will evaluate your medications and your overall health to determine if allergy drops are safe and effective for you. The treatment is tailored to each person’s allergies, medical conditions, response to previous allergy treatments, and lifestyle.

Immunotherapy including allergy drops are highly recommended in children as it can prevent them from having lifelong allergies and from developing other allergic conditions such as asthma. Allergy drops can be started as early as 3 years of age. You can never be too old to start allergy drops.

Just like allergy shots, it is not recommended for pregnant women to start taking allergy drops. However, if a woman is already taking allergy drops and becomes pregnant, she can continue her drops at a stable dose throughout pregnancy. As mentioned,  allergy drops are made from natural allergens, so there is little concern that the treatment itself will have a negative impact on a baby.  Nursing patients can continue allergy drops while nursing.

They taste sweet, although most of our patients say that they have no taste at all.

Allergy drops are made from allergens that are sourced from nature and purified. They are added to a glycerin base which preserves the allergens and gives the drops a sweet taste. They are therefore a natural treatment for allergies.

No

Yes - transitioning from allergy shots to allergy drops ( or vice versa) is easy. The staff at AACB will ensure that the process is seamless for you. Typically, we will take into consideration the time you have spent on allergy shots to determine how long you should remain on allergy drops (and vice versa). However, since allergy drops and allergy shots are two different types of desensitization programs, you will not be able to go back and forth between the two treatments.

There is a lot more flexibility with allergy drops when compared with shots. Missing 5 days or less of your dose, you may restart your drop program as usual. If you have missed more than 5 days the practice will work with you to get you back on track fast - which is typically easy to do.

Do not take your dose if you are sick. The treatment is unlikely to be effective when your immune system is busy fighting an infection. You are prone to overreact to the drops when your immune system is fighting an infection. Reasons not to take SLIT include fever, sore throat, upper respiratory tract infection, and any active infection (for example - lung, sinuses, throat).  

We recommend waiting an hour before exercising after the administration of SLIT

Allergy drops can safely stay out of the fridge for 30 days at room temperature. We do recommend keeping the maintenance vial in the fridge if possible. Allergy drops should not be subjected to heat or to freezing temperatures. Additionally, do not expose the drops to direct sunlight. Do not use the bottle beyond the expiration date on the label. 

We will work with you to create a replacement bottle at a reduced fee.

We offer different payment options for patients who are unable to pay for their drops. This can lower the cost of the monthly payments significantly and/or allow you to prepay for your treatment at a reduced cost. You will need to speak to our billing team to discuss this arrangement.

Office visits & Allergy testing will be billed to your insurance as a regular provider-patient encounter depending on the length of the visit. Therefore, a copay may apply. 

After the first 14 months, you will be given the choice of either paying for the second year of treatment upfront or enrolling in a second Cherry policy. You can also discuss your financial situation with our billing department and check if you now qualify for financial hardship.

Allergy drops cost about the same as allergy shots in terms of health care dollars, the only difference is that in most cases, your insurance plan will pay for the shot extract but not for the drops. However the time savings, convenience, safety and ability to treat allergies without shots makes allergy drops an attractive option for many of our patients, especially kids.

For patients with high deductible or health savings accounts, drops are likely to be less expensive as the cost of allergenic extracts for shots are about $1500 per year (that’s not including the weekly co-pays), additionally, patients with certain insurances like GHI/emblem or HIP pay $25 per shot visits, making the cost of allergy drops compatible with that of shots (as copays for shots will cost about $100/month with these plans)

You can email us at nurse@brooklynallergyDR.com

You can email us at billing@brooklynallergyDR.com

You cannot cancel your policy in the first 14 months. The only exception is if you develop any reactions from the treatment (this is incredibly rare). If that is the case, you will need to pay for any treatment set which has already been produced for you.