Sublingual Immunotherapy Allergy Drops vs. Allergy Tablets
This article is a transcript.
What's the difference between sublingual allergy tablets and allergy drops? In the 1980s, allergists realized that they could take the same FDA-approved extracts that they were using for allergy shots, and prescribed them for patients to take them under the tongue, or orally. And they realized they could get the same benefits as allergy shots. This therapy came to be known as sublingual immunotherapy.
There've been two large-scale independent evidence-based analyses that have proven the efficacy of allergy drops. Because of the success of allergy drops, in 2011, the FDA approved sublingual tablets.
These tablets are good if you have a single main allergen. So if you have an allergy to dust or just grass or just weeds, these tablets work well.
If you have an allergy to multiple things, your physician will typically prescribe you allergy drops, where they will personalize your medication using a prescription of the extracts, so that you can treat all of your allergies at once.
Ultimately, the most important thing is to work with a practice that you trust to find the immunotherapy that works best for you.
