Sublingual immunotherapy is a therapy that treats the cause of allergy by giving small doses of what a person is allergic to, which increases “immunity” or tolerance to the allergen and reduces the allergic symptoms.
How does the treatment work?
A patient must perform allergy testing to find the causes of allergy. Then a custom-mixed vial of drops is prepared for the patient. The patient takes drops under the tongue daily. During the first 4 months called the escalation phase, the dosage is gradually increased. After that in the maintenance phase, the patient takes the same drops each day.
Is the drug safe to use and is it available in Malaysia?
It is very safe for both adults and children. It can be used by patients themselves who regularly follow up in the clinic. Recommended age is between 12 and 65 years old.
Which patient is suitable for treatment?
Patient has long suffered from allergies to pollen and house dust who has also received a long time of steroid and antihistamine medication.
Total combined rhinitis score (TCRS) and rhinitis medication score
Evaluating based on 4 nasal symptoms (running nose, blocked nose, itching nose, sneezing) daily
-0-3 scale (mild, moderate, severe symptoms) with a range of 0-12
RMS is sum of the score for nasal steroid intake (eg 2 points per puff/day) and oral antihistamine intake (4 points per tablet) with a range 0-12
How does it take for Acarizax(sublingual immunotherapy) to work?
The medication works by causing the body’s immune system to become less sensitive to the effect of dust mites. Normally it will take between 8 and 14 weeks of using this medication before symptoms begin to improve. It does not have immediate relief of allergy symptoms.
