Pre-Seasonal Rush Allergy Immunotherapy

It is a type of immunotherapy using allergy drops when a person has severe allergy symptoms due to ONE specific seasonal pollen. It could be used alone or in conjunction with the regular allergy injection or allergy drop protocol. The treatment is initiated several weeks before the culprit pollen becomes airborne and is continued for about 3 months. Although such treatment can be started after the pollen has come out (co-seasonal therapy), it does not work quite as well.

For example, if a patient has been on allergy shots for years and is on maintenance therapy, but for some reason, bermuda grass remains persistently a level 4 (moderately high level), one can start bermuda grass pre-seasonal rush therapy using allergy drops several weeks before the bermuda grass pollen comes out and prevent allergy symptoms. For another patient, white oak pollen may be the ONLY allergy he has, and instead of doing shots or drops all year for many years, this patient can undergo pre-seasonal rush therapy with allergy drops alone for just 3 months out of each year which would save on time and money.

Why bother?

Well, for patients on pre-seasonal rush therapy, they can avoid having symptoms when the culprit pollen comes out. It also provides a boost (just like regular allergy shots and drops) to get your immune system more tolerant to the pollen. Allergy testing can be performed to that one pollen once a year or once every 2 years while undergoing pre-seasonal rush therapy to see if your allergy level to that pollen is decreasing.

Pre-seasonal rush therapy works only for those pollens which are seasonal in nature such as weeds, trees, and grasses. It will NOT work for molds, cats, dogs, dust, etc which are present all year round.

How much does it cost?

$200 for one vial which will last about 3 months long. This treatment is NOT covered by insurance at this time.

For more information, please contact our office to make an appointment.

Please note that we do NOT treat patients with symptomatic asthma (patients who use inhalers daily).

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