What is RUSH immunotherapy?
Probably the biggest downside to allergy shots is the time it takes to reach a dose that works. The traditional build up dosing schedule for allergy shots consists of about 28 doses,. This means that it it normally takes about 7 months (28 weeks) to reach the full dose if an individual comes in for an injection once a week, or 3 1/2 months if the person comes in for injections twice a week. This means that it can take 3-4 months to start seeing significant improvements in allergy symptoms.
The RUSH protocol allows the individual to receive the equivalent of the first 15 doses in two days. This means the full dose is reached in half the time as with the traditional schedule. With the rush protocol, patients typically start to notice improvement in symptoms within 2-6 weeks. Doctor Dauby is one of only several allergists in Western Pennsylvania with the expertise to offer RUSH allergy immunotherapy.
What does the RUSH protocol entail?
The RUSH schedule consists of 2 visits, about one week apart. The first visit takes about 4 - 4 1/2 hours. The second visit takes about 2 1/2 hours. During these two visits, you will receive the equivalent of 15 weeks of injections.
What medications do I need to take for the RUSH appointment?
Dr. Dauby has been doing RUSH immunotherapy safely since 2011. The following medications need to be taken 2 days BEFORE, and the day of the RUSH appointment in order to minimize the risk of an allergic reactions.
- Prednisone 20 mg, one in the morning and one in the evening.
- Pepcid (famotidine) 40 mg once per day
- Singulair (montelukast) 10 mg in the morning
- An antihistamine in the morning AND evening
- This can be Allegra (fexofenadine)180 mg, Zyrtec (cetirizine)10 mg, or Xyzal 5 mg
Remember to also take these medications the morning of your RUSH appointment.
You will also be given a prescription for an Epipen. You should bring it with you at each visit, to have in the low chance that you develop an allergic reaction on the way home. We will NOT do the RUSH immunotherapy if you do not bring your epipen to the appointments.
Can people with insect allergies also do the RUSH protocol?
Absolutely. Insect allergies can be life threatening and it is thus important for patients to reach protective doses quickly. With our "ultra RUSH" protocol, patients reach the full protective dose of venom immunotherapy in 5 weeks instead of the usual 15 weeks with the traditional regimen.
