Another option is a monoclonal antibody (an anti IgE antibody), such as omalizumab (Xolair), which reduce your immune system’s reaction to allergens by blocking IgE. Xolair is delivered by injection every two to four weeks.

Possible side effects include, but are not limited to: injection-site reaction, headache, sinusitis, sore throat viral infections, and upper respiratory tract infection.

Like all medical treatments, allergy shots (immunotherapy) can have side effects. Your doctor will discuss this with you in detail. Under no circumstances should you consider allergy shots without at least an attempt at avoidance of the troublesome allergen. For instance, cat allergy shots are no substitute for cat avoidance. Some allergens, though, such as grass pollen, are almost unavoidable.

Allergy shots are given regularly in the upper arm, with gradually increasing doses. At the beginning of immunotherapy, you may need to see your physician once or twice a week for several months. The dose is increased each time until the maintenance dose is reached. If the shots are effective, you will see your physician approximately every 2 to 4 weeks for 2 to 5 more years. You may become less sensitive to allergens during this time, your allergy symptoms may become milder and it is possible that they may even go away completely.

If your symptoms are becoming unmanageable with medication alone, and if the allergen cannot be avoided and the symptoms are hard to control, speak with your doctor about whether allergy shots are a good option for you. Please keep in mind, however, that allergy shots do not work for everybody, require frequent doctor’s visits, and may cause uncomfortable side effects (such as hives and/or rashes) and in extreme cases, dangerous outcomes (such as anaphylaxis). Immunotherapy is not proven to be effective for hives or food allergies. Also, they do not work for everybody and require frequent doctor’s visits.