First reaction to allergy shot

Hi Massue,

It's funny you should have this happen to you now. There was a news article talking about allergy shots, just yesterday. It's called, Allergy Shots Are Not For Everyone. It is too bad that you received double the normal injection. It just goes to show that regardless of who our medical professionals are, we still have to manage our own care. Keep records and ask questions, ask questions, ask questions!

Dr. Paula Busse is one of the resident experts here. She has a sharepost located here about treating allergies with allergy shots. It's a good read.

I hope this information helps. Stay in touch and let us know how you are doing!

Vicki M

Hi Massue,

When you see your allergist, don't forget to ask if it is possible the allergic reaction you are having is related to either the needles, the delivery, perhaps it's the formulary. Maybe  they have different medicines to treat the same allergies? I know I can take certain types of sudafed, but not all of them because of the different ingredients.

Could be this last couple times, there was a speck of something around the injection site that interfered with your getting the proper shot and now your body is just overly sensitive to it?

Just a couple thoughts. Stay in touch and let us know how you are doing!!

Vicki M

I spent a miserable night.  Altho I wasn't aware of having trouble breathing, I woke up in the middle of the night (2 a.m.) and had to take Benadryl and sit up for awhile.  When it seemed to quiet down, I went back to bed.  This morning I really feel the effects of the coughing.  I feel like an idiot.  The inhaler doesn't seem to help much during this spell but Benadryl has always helped, so that's what I did.  The injection site is still red and swollen about size of half dollar.  With such small injected amount this time, I sure need to call my allergist on Monday.  I wear no perfumes or body lotions of any kind.  It's always the left arm and not the right arm.  They inject in both each trip there.

She did say several of their patients can have trouble at this juncture.

Hi Massue,

How are you doing? Did the claritin make a difference in getting your shots?

Vicki M

Not a bit different.  I'm fine at the Dr's office but within 2 hours it starts out with a mosquito-bite look to it and swells from there.  It itches from the time they give me the injection.  Still itches the next day and hydrocortisone cream does nothing to help.  I was cut down to .010 and the last one I had was .020 and still reacting.  So what happens if a person keeps reacting like this?  I can bear with the itching, it's manageable but my concern is more severe reaction.  Eventually do I have an episode of anaphylaxis and will they be able to deal with it?  Or the delayed reaction means the anaphylaxis will come on when I am driving down the road or home with my 5 yr old?

Have you heard of patients unable to continue with allergy shots?  I don't have trouble breathing but then I didn't have trouble with breathing when I had the anaphylaxis episode, until I just QUIT breathing altogether!   My blood pressure dropped to barely enough to still be alive.  And all I felt was "funny".  

It's the tree pollen, grasses, weeds so I really need this so I feel better when all the pollens are flying.  I have not been in this week yet for my shot.  I was out of town.  Going tomorrow and if I react again, guess I'll contact my allergist and see what's next. 

Hi Massue,

Sorry you are having such a time with these shots, but it might be that you can't take them. Perhaps there is something in the formulary that your body just can not tolerate.

Dr Paula Busse wrote an article about allergy shots and she states that the side effects you are experiencing are known side effects for the shots, including difficulty breathing. But that doctors will prescribe inhalers to help with those effects. You can read the whole article here.  

Did you ever try any of the corticosteroids like flonase or beconase?

You can read about them here. The article says, " Corticosteroid nasal sprays, such as beclomethasone (Beconase, Vancenase), budesonide (Nasonex) and fluticasone (Flonase), are probably the most effective treatment for hay fever and perennial allergic rhinitis. People with seasonal allergies should start the nasal corticosteroid spray a week or two before an expected rise in pollen counts."

You have to take them once or twice a day and it's not an immediate fix, you have to continue the treatments every day even when you feel like you don't need them. They work really well for me in the height of allergy season, which is just around the corner for you with grasses and tree season. 

The old adage "cutting your nose off to spite your face" never seemed poignant to me until I had allergies!

Good luck, let us know how you are doing!

Vicki M

Another shot today at 9:30, .030 and yet another reaction but this one worse than when I had the 1.0 injection and the first reaction.  This time I had my husband take me back to the Dr. (25 miles away) as I was afraid to drive myself (4 p.m.).  They were shocked at the amount of swelling and the heat in it.  (Seeing is believing?)  Called my allergist and I stood there and listened to the nurse tell them I had not made them aware the last time I had a reaction!  This is not so!  I have made them aware each and every time!   

The allergist put me on predisone 20 mg tonite, in the morning, and again tomorrow nite and I know I have to come down gradual so when I call in the morning, I'll have to get a scrip for more as my supply here is minimal.  They want the vials of solution sent back to their office on Monday so they can check it and I don't know what from there.  Dilute it down more the nurses at the Dr.'s office thought.  The swelling has continued and it now encompasses my hand.  In spite of hydrocortisone cream and ice pack.  I'm beginning to believe these shots may not be for me.  I'm worried about being alone here with our five year old and having problems in the night.  I know how quickly I went into anaphylactic shock in September and really wasn't feeling bad so can't go by how I "feel".  I had high hopes this would work for me but if it doesn't, I will try the other.  Nasonex is what he has me using along with Singulair and Zyrtec and the Claritin on the days I have the shots.

I will be reading your reply and looking up all suggested sites for info.  Thanks so much for your help!

I have been getting my allergy shots since June of 07.  I have had a reaction every time.  At the moment I am at the highest dosage I will ever get.  Its a 1:1 mixture and at 5, how ever you messure needles.  My worst reaction was at a dosage of 3.  I delt with it at home with benedryl and my inhaler, but when I went to my next shot I was told that I should have used an epi pen and called 911.  I was itchy from head to toe, my arm was hot with a welp about 6 in diameter.  My face was hot and flushed.  I had to make an appointment with my allergist after this.  Oh they also cut my dosage in half but then brought it back up much quicker.  My allergist then wrote me a perscription for the epi pen, my thought was why had they not done this at the beginning.

Well my shots yesterday, one in each arm (animals in one, weeds trees in the other) I received my shots at 10:35am... its now 9:58 am the next day and my left one is so itchy.  Both are still feverish and the welt on the left arm is again about 6" in diameter. The right is only about 3".   I have to say i have seen worse, a coworker of mine use to always swell up on her arm as big as a softball around and stick out sometimes half an inch. 

So what is suppose to be normal?  Have you found out yet.  I hate to quit this far into the game.  I can deal with it, but am afraid of dismissing the symtoms as not being bad but that i should have used my epi pen.

Anyone have any suggestions.  I am suppose to make another appt with my allergist in the next week or so.. to see what our next course of action is... what normally happens at this stage is going ever two weeks. 

From what I understand, a little redness and itching might be ok.  Yours does sound excessive!  They have me taking Claritin 2 hours before I go in, on top of the Zyrtec and Singulair I am already taking on daily basis.  My allergist promptly had me stop the shots, had meds sent back to them, diluted them, and now have resumed with no problem, but feel like I am back peddling and am more on what the second set of vials had for strength.  My reaction seems to be to the tree, weeds, and grass pollens, which they call shot 1.  Right arm never bothers me.  But they backed off on both.

I am at high risk to once again go into anaphylaxis shock so am very careful.  I didn't want reactions to the shots to trigger it.  Always carry two epi pens with me ALL the time.  Read of too many instances where someone thought they didn't need to and they ended up dying when they reacted to something.  If I had your reactions, I'd be for finding someone who could maybe direct your allergies a little better!  I take it you do alot of research on-line?

Scary isn't it?  Knowing if we try for a cure, it could kill us?  Do you have Epi-Pens with you at all times?  My worst reaction Feb. 28th, I had my husband drive me back to the Dr so they could see what the wheal is like. I felt "funny" but that is enough to alarm me these days!  I thought this shot therapy would be a breeze, and take care of my allergies through the worst of the season which is approaching.   I played in the front yard with my son a couple of weeks ago and paid for that with asthmatic episode that night, which inhaler didn't really help.  Good ole Benadryl and hot coffee!  Pollen count is next to nothing still so don't know what got to me.

I know about feeling like a whiner if you tell someone again and again you have a reaction.  I'm talking to my allergist April 2 at my appt as to how I felt being treated so casually and not taken seriously when I told them about reactions.  (this is just the clinic where I go to get my shots, not the allergists office). 

I know I have suffered too many years with allergies to the point it has affected my health and caused these asthma episodes.  those too, I have had off and on for several years.  Always charted it at my Dr's office but never taken seriously.  I guess that is my fault for not pushing for answers.   I wish you luck with your continued regimen of shots!

Hi.

I got my allergy shot this morning about 8:15 AM.The doctor had cut it in half it has not turned red yet it is now 11:30 AM.This was my 3rd one. The last one had turned red and itched.Maybe cutting it in half it will not turn red and itch has has not so far

Listen. They are ALLERGY SHOTS. There WILL be an reaction. Geeze. Suck it up, and deal with it, or quit taking them. I get a reaction EVERY time I get an allergy shot (twice a week, 1 in each arm), and this is the second time i've done allergy shots (after stopping, my allergies were worse that ever, so we decided to restart the shots). I'm allergic to everything environmental, except molds. So seriously, quit having a fit over alittle wheel and itching. That's what happens, and it's normal. My arm swells up to the size of a softball and can last for days after the shot, along with heat and redness at and around the injection. You just deal with it and stop complaining. I did go into anaphylatic shock once after I reached my maintenance dose (probably because I waited too long inbetween shots), but even that wasn't a big deal. Call your Dr. or go to the ER. I just stayed at home and managed it with some benadryl and my inhaler. Stop calling your doctor after every shot, it's like the boy who cried wolf. Having a wheel, swelling, heat, and redness are all completely NORMAL, it means the allergy shot is doing it's job and exposing you to the allergens. Just suck it up already and stop complaining.

In the first place, this is supposed to be a site for information and support.  You appear to be a very unhappy person and your rudeness was uncalled for.  Must have been having a bad day?  Too bad for you that your reactions are so involved.  My allergist did not want to see a reaction like I was having.  Different doctors, different approach.  I'm new to the treatment for my allergies.  I also very likely have chemical allergies but without further testing, in Denver, I can't know when something I am given will bring on another anaphylaxis episode.  Please refrain from responding ever again to anything I might post here.  I don't need your negative input.  Good luck in your misery.

Oh suck it dude. You are clearly a GIANT baby...who also doesn't know how to type. I was in no way being rude; and it saddens me that you have to resort to calling another person on a MESSAGE BOARD "unhappy" because you can't man-up and come to terms with your own pitiful ness. So next time-- please spare us all your oh-so-terrible "sob story", and just deal with it.

Stop commenting to my posts then.

Benadryl is not a treatment for anaphylaxis. The only effective treatment for anaphylaxis is a shot of epinephrine. If you are likely to have anaphylactic reactions, talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for epinephrine doses you keep with you at all times.

Anaphylaxis can be deadly, so if you suspect you're having and anaphylactic reaction, use a shot of epinephrine and go to the ER.

Kathi MacNaughton, a nurse who writes for the site, wrote a detailed article about anaphylaxis. Sloane Miller also wrote one in which she interviewed an allergist about anaphylaxis and properly using EpiPens. Both have useful information in them.