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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Suffer Severe Allergy, Congestion, Runny And Itchy Nose, Sore Throat And Headache. Can Cortizone Help?

Hi I am really tired of what I call severe allergies in the fall; congestion, runny, itchy nose, runny, itchy eyes, itchy, sore throat, headache & no allergy medication I try helps. I hear about a once a year shot; cortizone maybe? people get that really helps, but doctors don't offer it or want to give it when asked about it; why?
Wed, 25 Sep 2013
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
Hello,

Thanks for posting,

It seems to me you are having a typical case of persistent generalized allergies which often can be very resistant to common antihistamines and may require further therapies. Cortisone has proven to be very useful in the treatment of persistent allergies and you could get about 1-3 shots yearly depending on how well you respond to treatment. But most doctors always want to see if the benefits of giving you cortisone shots out weighs the side effects that come with it.
Others you can rely on are allergy shots.
Allergy shots help your body get used to allergens, the things that trigger an allergic reaction. They don’t cure allergies, but eventually your symptoms will get better and you may not have allergic reactions as often. Allergy shots, also called "immunotherapy," may work for you if allergy medicines don’t work well for you or you have symptoms more than three months a year.
How often will you be getting the shot will depend on how well you respond to initial treatment. At first, you’ll go to your doctor once or twice a week for several months. You’ll get the shot in your upper arm. It will contain a tiny amount of the thing you’re allergic to say pollen, pet dander, mold, dust mites, or bee venom, for example. The shots dose will keep going up until you reach maintenance dose. After that, you’ll usually get a shot every 2-4 weeks for 4-5 months. Then your doctor will gradually increase the time between shots until you’re getting them about once a month for 3-5 years. During that time, your allergy symptoms will get better and may even go away. If your symptoms haven't improved after a year of shots, your doctor will talk to you about other treatment options.

Hope this helps
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Suffer Severe Allergy, Congestion, Runny And Itchy Nose, Sore Throat And Headache. Can Cortizone Help?

Hello, Thanks for posting, It seems to me you are having a typical case of persistent generalized allergies which often can be very resistant to common antihistamines and may require further therapies. Cortisone has proven to be very useful in the treatment of persistent allergies and you could get about 1-3 shots yearly depending on how well you respond to treatment. But most doctors always want to see if the benefits of giving you cortisone shots out weighs the side effects that come with it. Others you can rely on are allergy shots. Allergy shots help your body get used to allergens, the things that trigger an allergic reaction. They don’t cure allergies, but eventually your symptoms will get better and you may not have allergic reactions as often. Allergy shots, also called immunotherapy, may work for you if allergy medicines don’t work well for you or you have symptoms more than three months a year. How often will you be getting the shot will depend on how well you respond to initial treatment. At first, you’ll go to your doctor once or twice a week for several months. You’ll get the shot in your upper arm. It will contain a tiny amount of the thing you’re allergic to say pollen, pet dander, mold, dust mites, or bee venom, for example. The shots dose will keep going up until you reach maintenance dose. After that, you’ll usually get a shot every 2-4 weeks for 4-5 months. Then your doctor will gradually increase the time between shots until you’re getting them about once a month for 3-5 years. During that time, your allergy symptoms will get better and may even go away. If your symptoms haven t improved after a year of shots, your doctor will talk to you about other treatment options. Hope this helps