I started allergy shots in May 2018. My allergist does two shots each time you get one (they do the right arm is indoor allergens, and the left is outdoor allergens) with a serum based on the result of your testing. (I am allergic to approximately everything.)
Her rapid start protocol is that you go weekly for a period of time (at least three months, could be 5-6) and get one set of shots, wait 30 minutes to make sure there's no scary reaction, get another set of shots, wait another 30 minutes, and then you can go away again.
During the initial period, you're titrating up from an extremely diluted version of the serum to a non-diluted version, in carefully planned steps - that's so that you don't go into anaphylactic shock or have some other not-good reaction. (They colour code the vials, and basically you get a larger amount of the serum as you step up in each vial, then move up a vial, until you get to the maintenance dose.)
How long that takes depends on your reactions (I had no bad reactions, and it was exactly 3 months for me: my allergist said most people need to step back once or twice, where you go back to a dose that didn't cause you more than mild problems, and build up from there again.)
(Mild reactions are little bumps/itchiness/etc. that go away after a couple of hours.)
While I was on the buildup protocol, I also had to take a daily antihistimine, and there were multiple breathing tests after each round of shots.
Once I hit maintenance dose, it's a single set of shots (one in each arm). It takes about 6 months of maintenance dose to get a full sense of how they're working for you, and obviously, since a lot of allergens have some sort of seasonal/weather component, it can take some time beyond that to figure out how effective they are. They ask me before the shots about allergy symptom levels and reactions to the previous shots.
At my allergist's office, you can go anywhere for maintenance shots between every 2 weeks and every 4 weeks, depending on symptoms (if you start having more symptoms, come in more often.) But if you have more than 4 weeks (even a day over!) you have to step back two steps back onto the build up chart, come in weekly for a few weeks, and then go back to the 2-4 week cycle. Because of that, I aim for every 3 weeks, to give me leeway if something comes up.
(You also go back a couple of steps on the ramp up chart when they make you new serum, about once a year, since there's a chance you'll react slightly differently to the allergens in the serum - it'll be the same species of tree or whatever, but not the same exact tree.)
One thing that is an issue on scheduling is that I have to go when the office is open (logical, right?) but that means I have to take off from work an hour or two early every 3 weeks to go over there. My allergist doesn't do fixed appointments for shots, you just show up and sign in, but you need to be there about an hour before the office closes to make sure you've got enough time, and their office is swamped after school with teenagers. (So I leave work around 2, get there around 2:30, and am mostly done by the time school age kids get there.)
It's the first time I've had a job where that kind of regular appointment scheduling (and getting to the actual office) was reasonably feasible, because my other jobs have had significant at-service-desk hours involved (especially the high school library job)
My allergist does allow people to do shots at their local doctor's office, which in my case would have easier hours.
Other stuff of possible use: the itching can be annoying. The shots are usually on the fleshy part of the upper arm, with sites moving so you don't get scar tissue. You're not supposed to do significant exercise or exertion for a couple of hours before or after the shot, because that will spread the allergens more, and increase the risk of a severe reaction.
I don't take a daily antihistamine most of the time, but I do take one as needed, and I take a long acting asthma inhaler for a couple of weeks if my lungs are more than usually cranky. (I have historical issues with being on them long-term, so I have been given permission to take them for two weeks, take a two week break, repeat as needed, which is working pretty well.)
Building up tolerance to antihistamines is a thing, so my allergist encouraged me to rotate periodically, especially when I was taking them daily.
Long term: my allergist does the regular shots for 3-5 years, then evaluates whether you go off them or not (via testing and discussion.)
no subject
I started allergy shots in May 2018. My allergist does two shots each time you get one (they do the right arm is indoor allergens, and the left is outdoor allergens) with a serum based on the result of your testing. (I am allergic to approximately everything.)
Her rapid start protocol is that you go weekly for a period of time (at least three months, could be 5-6) and get one set of shots, wait 30 minutes to make sure there's no scary reaction, get another set of shots, wait another 30 minutes, and then you can go away again.
During the initial period, you're titrating up from an extremely diluted version of the serum to a non-diluted version, in carefully planned steps - that's so that you don't go into anaphylactic shock or have some other not-good reaction. (They colour code the vials, and basically you get a larger amount of the serum as you step up in each vial, then move up a vial, until you get to the maintenance dose.)
How long that takes depends on your reactions (I had no bad reactions, and it was exactly 3 months for me: my allergist said most people need to step back once or twice, where you go back to a dose that didn't cause you more than mild problems, and build up from there again.)
(Mild reactions are little bumps/itchiness/etc. that go away after a couple of hours.)
While I was on the buildup protocol, I also had to take a daily antihistimine, and there were multiple breathing tests after each round of shots.
Once I hit maintenance dose, it's a single set of shots (one in each arm). It takes about 6 months of maintenance dose to get a full sense of how they're working for you, and obviously, since a lot of allergens have some sort of seasonal/weather component, it can take some time beyond that to figure out how effective they are. They ask me before the shots about allergy symptom levels and reactions to the previous shots.
At my allergist's office, you can go anywhere for maintenance shots between every 2 weeks and every 4 weeks, depending on symptoms (if you start having more symptoms, come in more often.) But if you have more than 4 weeks (even a day over!) you have to step back two steps back onto the build up chart, come in weekly for a few weeks, and then go back to the 2-4 week cycle. Because of that, I aim for every 3 weeks, to give me leeway if something comes up.
(You also go back a couple of steps on the ramp up chart when they make you new serum, about once a year, since there's a chance you'll react slightly differently to the allergens in the serum - it'll be the same species of tree or whatever, but not the same exact tree.)
One thing that is an issue on scheduling is that I have to go when the office is open (logical, right?) but that means I have to take off from work an hour or two early every 3 weeks to go over there. My allergist doesn't do fixed appointments for shots, you just show up and sign in, but you need to be there about an hour before the office closes to make sure you've got enough time, and their office is swamped after school with teenagers. (So I leave work around 2, get there around 2:30, and am mostly done by the time school age kids get there.)
It's the first time I've had a job where that kind of regular appointment scheduling (and getting to the actual office) was reasonably feasible, because my other jobs have had significant at-service-desk hours involved (especially the high school library job)
My allergist does allow people to do shots at their local doctor's office, which in my case would have easier hours.
Other stuff of possible use: the itching can be annoying. The shots are usually on the fleshy part of the upper arm, with sites moving so you don't get scar tissue. You're not supposed to do significant exercise or exertion for a couple of hours before or after the shot, because that will spread the allergens more, and increase the risk of a severe reaction.
I don't take a daily antihistamine most of the time, but I do take one as needed, and I take a long acting asthma inhaler for a couple of weeks if my lungs are more than usually cranky. (I have historical issues with being on them long-term, so I have been given permission to take them for two weeks, take a two week break, repeat as needed, which is working pretty well.)
Building up tolerance to antihistamines is a thing, so my allergist encouraged me to rotate periodically, especially when I was taking them daily.
Long term: my allergist does the regular shots for 3-5 years, then evaluates whether you go off them or not (via testing and discussion.)