Allergies: Rush Immunotherapy

Topic Overview

Accelerated, or rush, immunotherapy 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 standard immunotherapy. 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.

Rush immunotherapy is usually done by a specialist. Having a severe reaction to this treatment is more likely than with standard allergy shots. All immunotherapy should be done 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 cannot come in once a week for months.
• You are about to travel.