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Rush immunotherapy for allergies

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By Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS

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Accelerated, or rush, immunotherapy is done very quickly to increase your tolerance to an allergen. There are different schedules for the shots that try to achieve a maintenance dose more quickly than standard immunotherapy. For example, a rush immunotherapy schedule might include:

  • Shots given every few hours instead of every few days or weeks.
  • Maintenance dose reached in 1 to 8 days.

All immunotherapy should be done in a doctor's office or clinic so that emergency care is available.

Rush immunotherapy may be done if:

  • You have a life-threatening allergy to insect venom, and the insect season is about to start.
  • Shots are only available in a clinic that is far away from your home, and you cannot come in once a week for months.
  • You have severe allergic asthma.
  • You are about to travel.

Credits

Author Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Editor Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Editor Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Harold S. Nelson, MD - Allergy and Immunology
Last Updated January 22, 2008
Last Updated: 01/22/2008