AllerAlt Allergy Testing FAQ

SLIT (Sublingual Immunotherapy) involves the simple process of placing a few drops (allergy drops) of low doses of harmless allergenic extracts under your tongue where they are absorbed by tiny capillaries. The allergens then attach to dendritic cells, which in turn affect your TH2 cells in the same manner as allergy shots thereby reducing and/or eliminating allergies and their related symptoms such as stuffy nose, watery itchy eyes, sinus congestion, etc.

You will be taking the AllerAlt All Inclusive allergy drops for approximately 3 years. If you are unable to complete the treatment, the allergen resistance will last a few weeks or so after the treatment is discontinued. You can restart the treatment at any time, but if a month has passed since your last allergy drops you will more than likely be advised to restart with the initial phase of the program.

We recommend that you stay on allergy medications at the start of your allergy drops (SLIT) therapy. At the first follow-up visit your provider will begin to taper the medications. You may actually discover that you have already started feeling so much better by the first visit that you are no longer medication-dependent.

Alleralt All Inclusive offers both Environment (Pollen – Grass / Tree / Weeds, Cats, Dogs, Insects, and molds), and Food drops.

The AllerAlt All Inclusiveallergy drops program has 2 phases. A starter phase where you receive 6 droppers that last 14 days each. You will take these bottles home and in taking the recommended number of allergy drops from each bottle you will gradually be introduced to a larger dosage of allergens. This ‘Starter Phase” lasts approximately 12 weeks. After this initial 12 weeks you will receive a set of maintenance allergy drops which will also last 12 weeks. You will then return to your doctors office for maintenance allergy drops every 12 weeks thereafter throughout the course of treatment. On these follow-up visits your provider will give you a quick exam, discuss your progress, and prescribe your refill. The allergy drops should last about three months, but since a drop is not a precise measure the supply may last a bit longer or run out a bit sooner. Come in when you need to. Over all the AllerAlt All Inclusive allergy drops program takes 3 to 5 years to change your immune response to the allergens that are causing your allergy symptoms.

The World Allergy Organization (WAO) states that “Since 2009, Cochrane meta-analyses have confirmed the efficacy and safety of SLIT for seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis drops or Sublingual Immunotherapy are extremely safe. With an estimated 2 Billion dosages there have been only rare but mild side effects and no fatalities. SLIT has been used for over 60 years worldwide with the majority of allergy patients in Central Europe receiving immunotherapy using SLIT.

Those currently taking allergy shots can switch to the AllerAlt All Inclusive allergy drops allergy program. Talk to your doctor and you should find that the switch is quick and easy and could begin immediately!

No. Any one can take or be given the allergy drops. There have been patients from 2 years old to 80 that have responded to the allergy drops. In the case of small children it has also been documented that there is a rare opportunity with young children to actually stop the well-known progression of allergies into asthma. In Europe where SLIT has been used for over 60 years it is actually recommended that children be placed on SLIT.

In terms of the AllerAlt All Inclusive allergy testing; younger children will be tested for fewer antigens than older children or adults, The test is safe for all ages.

If you miss a day, or even a few, you can pick up where you left off. If you stop taking the allergy drops for more than one month you will more than likely may be advised to begin again at the starter phase (Initial 6 bottles) of the program.

The AllerAlt All Inclusive allergy drops are not medications and have no additives, so there is typically no reason to be concerned. It is however important to watch for signs of a allergic reaction. If you feel you are having a severe reaction go to the emergency room (ER) immediately.

Most patients begin to see results within the first month or so of taking allergy drops and for some within 90 days of starting the AlerAlt allergy drops treatment. The length of time that you may be symptom free varies from person to person but most people experience significant relief from their allergies for at least 10-15 years and for some even longer!

Because Sublingual Immunotherapy ( allergy drops) is not yet FDA approved and is considered an “Off Label” prescription, they are generally not covered by health insurance plans. Your doctor should be able to tell you if your plan will cover the costs of the AllerAlt All Inclusive allergy drops. If they are not covered, and you have a Flexible Spending Account or a HSA you may want to see if you can use your FSA or HSA to cover the cost of the drops. When you take into account the other alternatives such as taking pills for your entire life or the costs of shot-based co-pays, insurance deductibles, and the time and costs of weekly visits for the shots the allergy drops actually cost you less.

An allergen is what causes your allergies. Examples of allergens are: animal hair, dust ,mites, grasses, molds, trees, and weeds.

You will be given a simple scratch test (no needles) exposing you to various allergenic extracts. Within about 15 minutes you will develop small bumps at the sites where you have a reaction. These reactions are evaluated by measuring the size of the raised areas of skin with a millimeter ruler. The severity of your allergic reactions are graded as follows: 2-4mm=low; 5-7=moderate; 8-10=high; 11-13=very high.

About 15 minutes

No, the device used to apply the allergens to the skin is a small plastic device that scratches the allergens into the skin. There are no needles involved in the testing.

If your body reacts to any of the allergenic extracts you will get small bumps on your skin and you may feel itchiness. Both the bumps and itchiness will begin to resolve as soon as the antigen is wiped away at the end of the test. The bumps usually last about an hour or so. Claritin and hydrocortisone cream can help to minimize any discomfort should the bumps or itchiness last longer.

Yes, most insurance plans pay for the testing. You should only be responsible for your regular co-pay and deductible.

Once a year. Re-testing can help your provider evaluate your improvements but it’s important to understand that the skin test is just one measure in the assessment of progress toward remission.

Notify your doctor prior to the test date if you take blood pressure medications (Beta Blockers). If you are using beta blockers at the time of testing, your provider may perform a blood test instead of a skin test.

Inform your doctor prior to the test date if there is a chance that you may be pregnant so that he or she can test for pregnancy before the skin test. If you are pregnant, you will be given a blood test instead of the skin test.

Do not take any antihistamines (Allergy Medications, Cold syrup, etc) for three days before testing. If this is not possible, discuss the options with your doctor such that you can take the allergy test as scheduled.

Refrain from exercise for two hours immediately prior to your test and plan to avoid exercise or strenuous activity for two hours afterward.

Tell your provider if you are experiencing any signs of a severe allergic reaction on the day of testing (e.g. hives or difficulty breathing).

No, the testing applicator that holds the allergenic extracts is simply pressed onto your skin and no blood is drawn.