Allergies: Rush Immunotherapy

Overview

Accelerated, or rush, immunotherapy (allergy shots) is done very quickly to increase your tolerance to an allergen. There are different schedules for the shots that try to achieve a maintenance dose more quickly than usual. For example, a rush immunotherapy schedule might include:

• Shots given every few hours instead of every few days or weeks.
• Maintenance dose reached in 1 to 8 days.

It is usually done by a specialist. Having a severe reaction to this treatment is more likely than with standard allergy shots. All shots should be given in a doctor's office or clinic so that emergency care is available.

Rush immunotherapy may be done if:

• You have a life-threatening allergy to insect venom, and the insect season is about to start.
• Shots are only available in a clinic that is far away from your home, and you can't come in once a week for months.
• You are about to travel.