Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site unc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!mcnc!unc!oliver From: oliver@unc.UUCP (Bill Oliver) Newsgroups: net.med,net.kids Subject: Re: Allergies Message-ID: <211@unc.UUCP> Date: Sun, 12-May-85 22:17:42 EDT Article-I.D.: unc.211 Posted: Sun May 12 22:17:42 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 15-May-85 01:47:08 EDT References: Reply-To: oliver@unc.UUCP (Bill Oliver) Organization: CS Dept., U. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill Lines: 94 Xref: watmath net.med:1526 net.kids:1318 Summary: In article yrdbrd@bmcg.UUCP (Larry J. Huntley) writes: >Fundamental Questions: > >1. Is anyone familiar with an example of an allergic person who has > used hyposensitization therapy and has actually improved? Do you > know anyone who has been told (by their allergist) "Well, I guess > we can stop with the injections now"? > >2. Is the long-term usage of antihistamine preparations known to be > free of unwanted side-effects or is there some nastiness here I > should be aware of? > >3. Have the methods of allergy testing advanced any? What is the > current state of the science? My testing took about three > weeks, involved some 180 varied Witches' brews and philters which > were injected subcutaneously into my inner forearm, 10 to 20 at a > time. The nurses would then return after 20 minutes or so to > measure the diameter of the red welt rising around the injection > site. If it was larger than a half-dollar but smaller than a dinner > plate :-), I would be rewarded with some sort of oral medication > and requested to "hang around a while longer; we'd like the Doctor to > see that." (I suspect they had some sort of agreement with the nurses > in the office of the urologist down the hall.) I know other people > who have had the "back scratch" type of testing. Are things any better > these days? My two cents: When I was a small child, I also had terrible problems with allergies, including asthma, watering eyes, pruritis, stuffy nose, etc. At about the age of 13 or 14, I went to an allergist and had the scratch test performed. The test was positive for a number of plant products, and I was begun on a desensitization protocol. It was like night and day for me. By the next season, I suffered from mild stuffiness, but had no problems with asthma or any other severe symptoms. The year following found me romping about in the open as I had never been able to do before in my life. Since I had spent the previous years of my life essentially indoors during all non-winter days, it was a dramatic change in lifestyle. I continued receiving monthly injections until I left home for college (about four years of continuous therapy). Over the next two years, my symptoms slowly returned, though never to their full force. I started up therapy again, and the symptoms promptly resolved. I discontinued therapy again when I moved to begin med school. I have had no problems in the past six years. Thus, I am sold on the therapy. I would have thought I had just grown out of my allergies (and indeed, I think my continued lack of symptoms is in part due to this) had it not been for the dramatic improvement and subsequent return of symptoms the first time I quit therapy, followed by another dramatic improvement when therapy was started again. Desensitization frequently does not work, and I am not surprised by your lack of response. Generally, desensitization works best for seasonal antigens such as my plant allergies, but doesn't work all that well for stuff like dust, mold, animals and such. The scratch test is still the way to test for sensitvity. Therapy generally is expectd to last for life. I am an exception in in this. Don't count on being able to have your kids stop, though they may be able to after a while. Tolerance for therapy is very variable, with reactions ranging from sniffles (not uncommon) to flu-like symptoms to full fledged allergic shock (very rare). The shock is easily treated and occurs soon after receiving the therapy. Thus, it is not too much of a drawback if the patient will hang around for the requisite thirty minutes or so after the injection. The use of antihistamines is not without side effects. The most common is of course drowsiness, but other side effects include tremors, nervousness, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, and rarely, problems with blood cell counts. Reactions to antihistamines are very individual, and if you choose to have your child treated in this manner don't worry if the first drug or two doesn't work just right. Many times the side effects disappear, and frequently one can just keep trying different antihistamines until a satisfactory compromise bewteen efficacy and side effect is reached. I don't know of any long term sequelae of occasional antihistamine use. Your allergist would. I am a pathologist and am thus speaking a little out of my specialty. Please take this as the experience of a satisfied customer and not professional medical advice. Go to an allergist and let him tell you the options. Tinkering with the immune system, even with over the counter drugs, is fairly non-trivial. That's why it's a separate specialty. Good Luck and God Bless, Bill Oliver.