Dust Mites Allergy Increased After 1 year of Allergy Shots!?

Hi theedi. Welcome to the forum.

My allergist has me taking shots weekly instead on bi-weekly in the spring, summer and fall when my allergens (pollens) are high. I can cut back when the pollen season is over. If you are already taking weekly shots, maybe you need an increase in the dose strength.

Bottom line is we aren't doctors, so ask yours.
Best wishes.

I'm glad you posted. I can learn too. I didn't know there was a "max" strength. I had to start with a twice reduced (probably factor of 10) dose because I reacted to the normal starting dose. It took 4 months to get up to the dose I take now. Actually I get two shots a week - one is dust, etc, one is pollens and grass.

My doc doesn't ever want me on monthly shots. My allergies aren't even that bad. I do have a bit of a hard time breathing when I don't take them weekly. I notice even when I get past the right day.

How did you determine your maintenance dose? I stopped just below the dose at which I had a skin reaction. That was my maintenance dose.

I had both skin prick and blood tests. I don't trust the blood tests though. They said I was allergic to peanut butter, with which I have no trouble. The skin tests did provoke some mild reactions to pollens, dust and mites. I had severe reactions as a child after playing in the oat bin, almost stopped breathing, and that was before there was any sort of treatment. I can eat oats just fine - I think.

My main problem was I was having gastric reflux and tachycardia after eating certain foods. There are no reliable tests for a lot of foods. I suspected sulfite because I was reacting to a batch of wine I had made, the only one I had ever sulfited. My allergist got me keeping a really good food journal with dates, times, reactions, etc. When I got together a list after about 2-3 months, she had me do some "challenge testing." I ate and drank only the ingredients in the foods starting with a small dose and doubling it every 20 minutes until I got to 16X. I found my entire list and more on some sulfite intolerance websites. I also found I was lactose intolerant but not sensitive to the proteins in milk.

I really must go back in my journals and take another look at oatmeal. Some days I have trouble breathing. Steroids don't help but some antihistamines do. Unfortunately I seem to have bad reactions to the best antihistamines - making me fall asleep while driving!

If I needed an antihistamine before my allergy shot I would know the dose was too high. My dose was carefully titrated right up to the highest I could take without a wheal.

I would suggest reading about the test since it is not recommended and considered not reproducible. Your insurance probably won't cover it either.

The trouble with food intolerances is you don't realize it's causing reflux until you keep a good log/journal. Symptoms can be delayed. Migraine sufferers can react up to 2 days after eating a trigger food. I had a hospitalizing reaction to albuterol 8 hours after taking one puff - after previously not having any reaction at all! At least the food log is free; just keep a notebook on the kitchen counter. There's no skin test for most food ingredients.

Do you take antihistamines? If so maybe there are other airborne allergens acting. I was trying some antihistamines to try to relieve my chronic headache, but the ones that helped put me to sleep - while I was driving.

I also use a Neil Med saline sinus wash. That might help you get rid of inhaled mite dust.

I was told if I had a reaction to the shots to back off the amount of the dose or call for a lower strength. (I get my shots at home.)

I've had headaches for 4 years since a car wreck, never before. Some are from sinus infections which I think may be under control for now. Some seem to be occipital, maybe from neck problems. The one that is constant is in my eyebrow where I had a cut and broken nose from a wreck.

I've had just about every medicine there is, including antihistamines. The antihistamines seem to clear the sinuses for a while, but the ones that work put me to sleep. Saline sinus wash, not spray, helps some with sinus headaches, but not the nerve one in my eyebrow and the bridge of my nose. My pain med relieves the occipital headaches some. I put a piece of cotton under my reading and sunglasses to ameliorate the nose pain. I'm scheduled for a steroid injection at the supraorbital nerve in a couple of weeks.

The allergy injections keep me from having allergy symptoms, but unfortunately they don't help the nerve pain.

My qualified spouse gives me the shots. I have given myself a few but he hurts less. You should have someone around when getting the shots in case of reaction. I see the allergist in a couple of days.

We'll find out if the steroid works on the nerve injury in a couple of weeks. If it does, even for a couple of days, then I can get nerve ablation. I've had 6 nerves "burned" at the spine for back pain. It's nearly the same as simple injections, tolerable.

Enough about me though. This is your thread. Did you get an appointment with your allergist? Maybe ask if it's enough to just have the antihistamine available instead of actually taking it. Also of course, if taking weekly shots would be a good idea for you.

My son had crazy allergies home, we tried everything, changing the sheets, removing the carpets, washing the entire house every single day, we thought first it was due to the bed we changed it but nothing, we try steroid spray too but it has some side effects . His allergist suggested me to use a probiotics air purifier. Since we have it home he doesn't get any allergy anymore even with my little cat now! and this is natural I recommend it so far :) the one we have home is Better Air probiotics. Hope it can help you!