Why allergy drops?
Sublingual Immunotherapy, commonly known as Allergy drops, are a method of treating allergies by placing drops underneath the tongue: a small dose of an allergen being introduced into the patient allows the body to build immunity over time. A dropper of antigens is placed under the tongue daily until the patient doesn’t experience any reactions anymore. They can be used for a wide variety of allergies in most patients from children (6 years old and up) to adults.
Some examples of patients that may qualify:
- Severe asthmatics
- Patients with chronic sinusitis or allergic rhinitis
- Children with eczema and/or recurring ear infections
- Multiple allergy sufferers (dust, pet dander, and pollen)
- Patients that are not able to come in weekly to the office ( Example frequent flyers, Pilots)
What are some of the benefits?
- No needles or injections
- At-home treatment
- Affordable
- Reducing reliance on allergy medications
- Access to a physician in-person or via telemedicine
SLIT drops aren’t currently approved by the FDA for treating allergies. If you are a candidate for drops, you will have access to a physician in-person or via telemedicine and insurance coverage when available.
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We offer Sublingual Immunotherapy (allergy drops) in our 19 locations in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Request your appointment:
How do I know if sublingual immunotherapy is right for me?
The first step is to confirm an appointment with one of our allergists and confirm your allergies. The doctor’s evaluation with allergy testing will likely confirm if you are to benefit from sublingual immunotherapy. If you are, then a custom-mixed vial of drops is ordered, prepared for you by our Central Mixing lab and delivered to you. A provider will see you periodically to address any changes as needed.
Are allergy drops safe?
Allergy drops are widely considered to be a safe and effective allergy treatment alternative that can reduce or eliminate allergy symptoms. If you suffer from allergies and would like to find out if allergy drops are a viable option for you, please complete an online appointment request HERE.
How does the process work?
It’s a 3-step process. After confirming a patient’s allergies through allergy testing, a custom-mixed vial of drops is prepared for the patient.
Phase 1: during the initial oral tolerance, the patient takes drops under the tongue daily and the body begins adjusting to the treatment. With better tolerance, symptoms and allergy reactions begin to decrease. It usually lasts 3 to 4 months.
Phase 2: escalation phase, the dosage is gradually increased; it can last up to 2 years in which the patient experiences relief and scarcity of symptoms.
Phase 3: After that, in the maintenance phase, the patient takes the same dose of drops each day.
FAQs
Immunotherapy treats the cause of allergies by giving small doses of what a person is allergic to, which increases “immunity” or tolerance to the allergen and reduces the allergic symptoms.
Sublingual immunotherapy is given as drops under the tongue.
Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) for food allergies involves placing very small, gradually increasing doses of a liquid allergen extract under your tongue each day. Over time, this trains your immune system to become less reactive to that food allergen.
SLIT requires no needles or injections. The drops are placed under the tongue at home each day, making it a highly convenient option — no weekly office visits required for dosing. You will still see your allergist periodically to monitor progress.
SLIT for food allergy is not currently FDA-approved. However, it is an emerging, evidence-based treatment supported by clinical research. Your allergist will discuss the benefits and limitations in full during your consultation.
SLIT is generally available to patients ages 5 and up, though eligibility is individualized by your allergist. It is often a preferred option for patients who are not comfortable with the level of commitment required by OIT, those with higher anxiety around their allergen, or younger children for whom OIT may be more complex.
SLIT can be used for many of the same food allergens we treat with OIT, including peanut, tree nuts, milk, egg, and others. Multi-food SLIT — treating more than one allergen at the same time — may also be an option.
The goal is desensitization: to train your immune system so that accidental exposure to the allergen does not cause a severe reaction. SLIT typically increases the amount of allergen needed to trigger a reaction. It is not a cure, and patients should continue to carry epinephrine and avoid their allergens throughout treatment.
Unlike OIT, SLIT does not require a rest period before or after taking a dose, which adds to its convenience for active patients and busy families.
SLIT is a long-term commitment. Patients typically take drops daily at home and return to our office periodically — usually annually in the early years — to assess progress through an oral food challenge. Your allergist will outline an individualized treatment timeline.
Yes. Patients on SLIT have access to an FCAAC physician in person, via telemedicine, or through an after-hours phone line.
Sublingual immunotherapy is very safe, for both adults and children. Patients take the drops in the convenience of their own homes instead of going to a doctor’s office every week for shots. The World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed sublingual immunotherapy as a viable alternative to injection immunotherapy.
Many published scientific studies have shown that sublingual immunotherapy significantly reduces allergy symptoms.
It is not recommended for pregnant women to start taking allergy drops. However, if a patient is already taking sublingual immunotherapy drops and becomes pregnant, they can continue SLIT at a stable dose throughout pregnancy.
Yes, it is safe to fly while taking sublingual immunotherapy drops. Ask your doctor for a letter to carry the drops in the cabin.
Yes, children from the age of 7 can get sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT).