GiaKrembs 0 #1 December 13, 2005 I have suffered from allergies for as long as I can remember. I've been able to manage my allergies in the past with shot's/prescribed medicine (lil to no effect with over the counter other than Benedryl - drowsy), until last May where I had a severe allergy attack and ended up with anphylaxis and a very large emergency room bill. This attack has brought on allergy induced asthma, along with increased onset to allergy attacks. Well, I'm finally sucking it up and going to an allergist for testing after the New Year. I would like to get this under control before spring and summer season when my allergies are strongest. Can I add that I'm terrified of needles.... Questions for you all: - Skin Prick Test... is the needle prick similar to that of a TB test (just under the first layer of skin)? Does the inflammation get very painful??? - IGE (blood test), approx. how much blood must be drawn??? (I pass out if it's over two tubes). - Immunotherapy treatment, anyone had it, and how successful was it??? What is involved in the treatment??? I'm sure I sound like a pansy ass, but I am nervous as hell about this and would like to know as much first hand experience as possible. Thanks guys, g Raddest ho this side of Jersey #1 - rest in peace brother Beth lost her cherry and I missed it .... you want access to it, but you don't want to break it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ccowden 0 #2 December 13, 2005 I had the skin prick allergy test done a few years ago. It wasn't bad at all. They drew like 60 circles on my back and pricked me with everything under the sun. The worst part was sitting there for 20 minutes while the stuff reacted, but it wasn't too bad. The needles are not bad at all and I don't remember even really feeling the pricks much. The best part was when the nurse cleaned my back off with an alcohol wipe after it was done. Man, that felt great! I wanted to pay her to keep going! It's not bad. And it was WELL worth it to get my prescription! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #3 December 13, 2005 I had all the tests when I was young; shots in my arm, blood drawn, back scratches and then took allergy shots from the ages of 6-12. If I can go through that at that young age, it must not be too bad because I don't really remember crying or anything because of it. I just went through this last month with my son too. He said the worst part of the back scratches was that they started itching. He didn't even flinch when they did it. I think you'll be ok. She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GiaKrembs 0 #4 December 13, 2005 Thanks Chris & Skymama! g Raddest ho this side of Jersey #1 - rest in peace brother Beth lost her cherry and I missed it .... you want access to it, but you don't want to break it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 35 #5 December 13, 2005 Quote - Skin Prick Test... is the needle prick similar to that of a TB test (just under the first layer of skin)? Does the inflammation get very painful??? I had this when I was in high school... I abso-FUCKING-lutely HATED it! Jabbing my arm in 15 places with those damn big ass needles was NOT my idea of a good time! I hope you find a different way to test for allergies..."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GiaKrembs 0 #6 December 13, 2005 Awwwright Billy, are you fucking with me, or are you for real??? Great... I'm back to the sweaty palms freaking out stage again g Raddest ho this side of Jersey #1 - rest in peace brother Beth lost her cherry and I missed it .... you want access to it, but you don't want to break it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #7 December 13, 2005 OK.. calm down.. I've had this done four times (estimating about 30 skin pricks per time.) It's not any more painful than holding cats. You know how sometimes they stretch and poke you with their claws? Thats what it feels like. The doctors are usually good and try to just get it done with quickly. The worst part is waiting for 10 minutes or so for the reactions to appear. Just have something to distract you.. a book.. call a friend on your cell phone.. something like that. Then when they put some liquid adrenaline on to stop the itching.. OOOHH!! Feels SOOOOO goood!!!!! I ended up getting allergy shots for four years, it was no problem. Pretty painless shots. It helped to reduce my allergies for a while (about 70% reduction) but it seems like I've developed new allergies, so I might give shots another shot. -Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mcneill79 0 #8 December 13, 2005 I've gotten the skin prick test a few times. The worst part is definitely the itchyness. The needles are tiny and they barely even prick you. Don't worry it won't be like the tattoo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #9 December 13, 2005 I think it's only 112 pricks with the needle. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GiaKrembs 0 #10 December 13, 2005 Okay so 4 out of 5 here comment that it's not so bad... QuoteI ended up getting allergy shots for four years, it was no problem. Pretty painless shots. I had allergy shot's throughout college, but it wasn't a simple task for me... After each shot I would pass out and my blood pressure would drop dramatically (80/40). I will do it in order to breathe, but I would preferrably like to find an alternative. So I'm curious if anyone has ever done the immunotherapy treatment. g Raddest ho this side of Jersey #1 - rest in peace brother Beth lost her cherry and I missed it .... you want access to it, but you don't want to break it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GiaKrembs 0 #11 December 13, 2005 Thanks Dave I really should have done this months ago while you were here so you were able to share my pain!!! g Raddest ho this side of Jersey #1 - rest in peace brother Beth lost her cherry and I missed it .... you want access to it, but you don't want to break it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 35 #12 December 13, 2005 QuoteAwwwright Billy, are you fucking with me, or are you for real??? Great... I'm back to the sweaty palms freaking out stage again g It was for real... I must have had a shitty nurse that time. On every prick, she was jabbing the needle into my skin, then angling the needle down to near horizontal or parallel with the skin so the bit of skin where the needle went into was lifting up like a bump... that fucking bitch... There's a right way the stick a needle in and a whole bunch of wrong ways... I was just unlucky..."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #13 December 13, 2005 QuoteThanks Dave Always happy to help. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #14 December 13, 2005 Oh.. what is immunotherapy treatment? I guess I assumed that it was the same thing as allergy shots. I'd be interested to find out more about immunotherapy since I'm probably going to start another round of shots.. how long does it take? I wouldn't want allergy shots either if they made me pass out! I always just got an itchy arm. How did you get allergy shots without having the skin-prick test? I thought they had to do that to customize your serum.. ? I know my dad has had the blood test, and I guess it was really easy, I don't think they took much blood. But for some reason I guess not every doctor does that, or not everyone is a candidate. -Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #15 December 13, 2005 I did a search on immunotherapy and it says that it is the same thing as allergy shots. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GiaKrembs 0 #16 December 13, 2005 QuoteHow did you get allergy shots without having the skin-prick test? OLD family doctor... I told him what I was reacting to (at the time it was Cotton Wood trees / mild-medium anaphylaxis), and he gave me the shot. The reaction may have been due to the fact that is was not customized for me. I refused to go to an allergist for testing, so he treated it the best he could. g Raddest ho this side of Jersey #1 - rest in peace brother Beth lost her cherry and I missed it .... you want access to it, but you don't want to break it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GiaKrembs 0 #17 December 13, 2005 I've also seen recent treatments where they permanently kill the histamine in your nose (no shots), minor surgical procedure, followed by meds. g Raddest ho this side of Jersey #1 - rest in peace brother Beth lost her cherry and I missed it .... you want access to it, but you don't want to break it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #18 December 13, 2005 Oy! that doesn't sound like a great way to do it. The nice thing about having the testing is they gauge just how much of a reaction you have to each particular substance and then introduce it to your system very gradually so that you never have much of a reaction. When I was recieving my shots I also had to report what my reaction was like, was the swelling around the shot area the size of a dime, nickel, quarter, half-dollar.. If it was more than a nickel size reaction then they would adjust the intensity of the serum so that I always had a very low reaction. If for some reason I did have a larger reaction, they would wait a little longer for it to go down before administering another shot. I can't believe they would give you more shots after having such a horrible reaction! "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #19 December 13, 2005 QuoteI've also seen recent treatments where they permanently kill the histamine in your nose (no shots), minor surgical procedure, followed by meds. OH man!! That would make me SOOOO happy! I need to ask the DR about that one! I would absolutely freaking love that!!!!!! "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GiaKrembs 0 #20 December 13, 2005 Still in testing, but the gist of it: "Ultraviolet Light Perhaps the most cutting-edge allergy treatment is ultraviolet light therapy. In a study recently published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers shined light into patients' noses three times a week, in effect, paralyzing the cells that trigger an allergic reaction. "The results were quite impressive in terms of reduction of symptoms," Nelson said. If approved for use, the novel treatments could help allergy sufferers within the next few years" Raddest ho this side of Jersey #1 - rest in peace brother Beth lost her cherry and I missed it .... you want access to it, but you don't want to break it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dixieskydiver 0 #21 December 13, 2005 I had the skin prick test years ago and it was no big deal, it isn't like donating blood or anything the needle is small and they just poke you. My brother underwent regular treatments for I think a little less than two years and he hasn't had any problems since. He was allergic to all types of grass but especially bermuda (golf course grass), we live in Myrtle Beach which has literally 100 golf courses. Dixie HISPA #56 Facil Rodriguez "Scientific research has shown that 60% of the time, it works every time." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vt1977 0 #22 December 13, 2005 I had the blood test (IGE) a few weeks ago. They really took very little blood and it wasn't painful or distressing in any way. The test showed up that I have raised IGE so I will have to have the skin prick tests next... Vicki Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #23 December 13, 2005 Quote- Skin Prick Test... are you allergic to prick skin ?? Hope you're not allergic to Fish scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GiaKrembs 0 #24 December 13, 2005 QuoteHope you're not allergic to Fish Nah, I don't think so... I managed to be around you for a full night with no reaction - that's a good thing!!! g Raddest ho this side of Jersey #1 - rest in peace brother Beth lost her cherry and I missed it .... you want access to it, but you don't want to break it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #25 December 14, 2005 that was close scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
