'Rush Immunotherapy' Offers Faster Allergy Relief
Some Doctors Restrict Treatment To Life-Threatening Allergies
UPDATED: 9:08 am CST March 10, 2003
CHICAGO -- Thousands of people get allergy shots each year, and the shots are designed to build up immunity to allergens that can make life miserable. But the shots take months to work, and many patients don't want to wait that long.
But now a new way to get the same relief in just six months.Two allergy patients, Elizabeth Spence and Laura Bulfer, decided to get allergy shots to fight their reactions to pollen, pets and dust mites.Standard injections would have taken more than six months to work. Even if they get the shots early this year, most allergists don't expect their patients to have an allergy-free season until next year, reported WMAQ-TV in Chicago.But Dr. Laura Rogers offered relief to Spence and Bulfer in just six weeks."The main benefit is that it is faster," Rogers said. "And because it is faster, the patients feel better more quickly."Rogers uses what is called "rush immunotherapy." Instead of spacing out the shots over months, patients get more than half of the injections on the first day of treatment."They arrive at 8:30 in the morning," Rogers explained. "They're given seven injections over a six-hour period ... I tell them to bring their lunch, bring their laptop, their phone -- whatever reading material they need to keep them busy."On Spence's first day of treatment, Rogers watched her closely because allergic reactions to all the shots she's getting are more common than with traditional injections, she said.Most of the reactions, though, are mild, such as a flushed face. But in a recent study in Texas, one patient experienced a sudden drop in blood pressure. It could have been life-threatening without immediate treatment -- the type of reaction that leaves other allergists leary about offering rush therapy."Therapy that can lead to systemic reactions and the possibility of fatalities -- then we want to try to reduce the risk as much as possible," said Dr. Dennis Wong, a University of Chicago allergist.Wong said he only uses rush therapy for bee sting allergy, which itself is life-threatening.But Rogers insists that her shots are safe. Her patients take antireaction medications before treatemnt, and she keeps them under observation several hours after treatment to make sure they are all right."The likelihood of having a reaction is probably slightly higher with rush therapy because it is so fast," Rogers said. "But it's the same type of reaction you would have with regular therapy."Bulfer's reaction was mild on her first day of treatment. She said that as she entered her last six weeks of shots, she was already getting better."I think I've already seen some improvement," Bulfer said.Rogers said the shots work in about 80 percent of her patients -- the same success rate as patients who get traditional injections.
But now a new way to get the same relief in just six months.Two allergy patients, Elizabeth Spence and Laura Bulfer, decided to get allergy shots to fight their reactions to pollen, pets and dust mites.Standard injections would have taken more than six months to work. Even if they get the shots early this year, most allergists don't expect their patients to have an allergy-free season until next year, reported WMAQ-TV in Chicago.But Dr. Laura Rogers offered relief to Spence and Bulfer in just six weeks."The main benefit is that it is faster," Rogers said. "And because it is faster, the patients feel better more quickly."Rogers uses what is called "rush immunotherapy." Instead of spacing out the shots over months, patients get more than half of the injections on the first day of treatment."They arrive at 8:30 in the morning," Rogers explained. "They're given seven injections over a six-hour period ... I tell them to bring their lunch, bring their laptop, their phone -- whatever reading material they need to keep them busy."On Spence's first day of treatment, Rogers watched her closely because allergic reactions to all the shots she's getting are more common than with traditional injections, she said.Most of the reactions, though, are mild, such as a flushed face. But in a recent study in Texas, one patient experienced a sudden drop in blood pressure. It could have been life-threatening without immediate treatment -- the type of reaction that leaves other allergists leary about offering rush therapy."Therapy that can lead to systemic reactions and the possibility of fatalities -- then we want to try to reduce the risk as much as possible," said Dr. Dennis Wong, a University of Chicago allergist.Wong said he only uses rush therapy for bee sting allergy, which itself is life-threatening.But Rogers insists that her shots are safe. Her patients take antireaction medications before treatemnt, and she keeps them under observation several hours after treatment to make sure they are all right."The likelihood of having a reaction is probably slightly higher with rush therapy because it is so fast," Rogers said. "But it's the same type of reaction you would have with regular therapy."Bulfer's reaction was mild on her first day of treatment. She said that as she entered her last six weeks of shots, she was already getting better."I think I've already seen some improvement," Bulfer said.Rogers said the shots work in about 80 percent of her patients -- the same success rate as patients who get traditional injections.
For more information on rush immunotherapy, contact Dr. Laura Rogers at (312) 787-6662, or visit AllergyChicago.net.Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
