Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site bmcg.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mhuxn!mhuxr!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!bmcg!yrdbrd From: yrdbrd@bmcg.UUCP (Larry J. Huntley) Newsgroups: net.med,net.kids Subject: Allergies Message-ID: <1668@bmcg.UUCP> Date: Fri, 10-May-85 13:50:07 EDT Article-I.D.: bmcg.1668 Posted: Fri May 10 13:50:07 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 13-May-85 02:23:51 EDT Organization: Burroughs Corp. ASG, San Diego, CA. Lines: 56 Xref: watmath net.med:1520 net.kids:1306 My two sons, aged 7 and 4, have recently been diagnosed as being very allergic individuals and I will be taking them to a pediatric allergist. I myself was proclaimed a "highly allergic subject" when I was 15 and spent the subsequent 11 years under the care of an allergist. I finally discontinued the allergist's prescribed treatment plan when I decided that I couldn't detect any difference in the way I felt or reacted to the supposed allergens whether I was using the hyposensitization solutions or not. Now, before I embark fully on subjecting my boys to the same sort of rituals I went through, I am soliciting opinions of you folks on the net. I am aware that the treatment plan is likely to have changed in the 20 years since I started all this, so if anyone has a recent experience along these lines, I'd like to hear about it. 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? I hate to sound negative about the whole affair, but my personal experience with the system was less than marvelous. I do want the boys to have a chance to feel good, though; they seem to have so much trouble with congestion, coughing, sneezing, , etc. Your experiences and opinions are welcome. Thanks a lot, 'brd -- Larry J. Huntley Burroughs -(B)- Corporation Advanced Systems Group MS-703 10850 Via Frontera San Diego, CA 92128 (619) 485-4544 -*- Non Circum Copulae -*-