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Southwest Allergy & Asthma Center

Locations:

Plano
6100 Windcom Court,
Suite 101
Plano, Texas 75093

Serving: Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Carrollton, Richardson, Lewisville, Garland, Dallas, The Colony, Addison, Coppell, Little Elm, Celina, Prosper, Sachse, Murphy, Wylie, Rockwall, Lucas and Rowlett

(972) 398 - 3500Telephone:
(972) 398 - 3512FAX:


Denison
In the Texoma Medical Plaza adjacent to the new Texoma Medical Center
5012 South US HWY 75,
Suite 150
Denison, Texas 75020

Serving: Denison, Sherman, Bonham, Gainesville, Pottsboro, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Prosper, Durant (OK) and Madill (OK)

(903) 463 - 8400Telephone:
(903) 463 - 8500FAX:


McKinney
7785 Eldorado Pkwy,
Suite 500
McKinney, Texas 75070

Serving: McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Celina, Prosper, Sachse, Murphy, Wylie, Rockwall, Lucas and Rowlett

(972) 542 - 0500Telephone:
(972) 398 - 3512FAX:


Allen
In Twin Creeks Medical Center Two
1101 Raintree Cir,
Suite 140
Allen, Texas 75013

Serving: McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Celina, Prosper, Sachse, Murphy, Wylie, Rockwall, Lucas and Rowlett

(469) 656 - 1057Telephone:
(972) 398 - 3512FAX:


Frisco
12950 Dallas Pkwy,
Suite 700
Frisco, Texas 75033

Serving: McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Celina, Prosper, Sachse, Murphy, Wylie, Rockwall, Lucas and Rowlett

(972) 569 - 8500Telephone:
(972) 398 - 3512FAX:


Green Going Green to help you breathe easier!

Food Desensitization -

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What patients are eligible for the Food Desensitization program?
    Patients 4 years and older with a history of an adverse reaction (hives, rash, swelling, cough, mild asthma, nausea or vomiting) to one of the eligible foods.
  2. What foods are currently being used during this program?
    Foods currently in use for the program are peanut, milk, egg, wheat, soy, rice and tree nuts.
  3. What patients are ineligible for the Food Desensitization program?
    We are not offering the program currently to patients with a history of severe anaphylaxis to the eligible food. Such symptoms would include a history of an admission to an ICU setting, the need for intubation, loss of blood pressure, severe throat closure, and severe asthma symptoms.
  4. What other requirements are there for being in the program?
    Patients must have a baseline positive skin and blood test within 6 months of starting the procedure.
  5. Can we desensitize to more than one food at a time?
    Only one food may be used at a time during the Food Desensitization Program.
  6. Who provides the food used during treatment?
    Patients will be responsible for buying and bringing the necessary food for the treatment, the daily food used at home during the week, and for subsequent one hour visits that occur in the office. Instructions regarding the quality, amount, and dilution of the exact food used will be discussed during the visit with the physician.
  7. How is the program outlined?
    There are two phases to the program: RUSH and BUILDUP.

    RUSH: The patient will receive increasing amounts of the food every 30 minutes until a maximum dose is reached or until the presence of moderate symptoms are witnessed. This will take place in one of our RUSH rooms where vitals and full examinations are performed every 30 minutes. The patient will be under the care of a nurse and a Board Certified Allergist during the treatment. This process will take about 5 hours in our office.

    BUILDUP: The patient will be asked to take the last tolerated amount from the RUSH Day on a twice daily schedule for one week. The patient will then be asked to return to our office one week later to receive the next incremental dose of the food. The dose will be doubled during that one hour stay in our office. If that dose is tolerated in our office, the patient will similarly ingest it twice daily for one more week. This process will go on for about 16 - 20 weeks depending on how the patient responds to the treatment. Ultimately, the goal is to be able to tolerate increasing amounts of the food without incident.
  8. What will happen if I experience a reaction during the RUSH day?
    If symptoms are mild (mild rash or itch) during the treatment- an antihistamine will be given by mouth. Once the symptoms abate/resolve, the patient will be re-administered the previous dose that elicited the reaction. If that dose is tolerated, the protocol will be continued until the maximum dose for RUSH desensitization protocol is reached or until the symptoms become moderate to severe.
    If symptoms are moderate or severe (moderate hives, respiratory symptoms, GI complaints, angioedema), the protocol will be stopped and symptoms will be treated with antihistamines and other requisite medications if needed.
  9. What will happen if I experience a reaction during the BUILDUP phase while at home?
    During the BUILDUP of weekly administration at home, the patient may experience adverse reactions to the food in question. If symptoms are mild, the patient will be instructed to take an antihistamine for the symptoms and continue with the treatment. If symptoms become moderate to severe, the patient will need to take an antihistamine and call our office for further instruction. Typically, if the patient's symptoms are moderate to severe, the patient will need to decrease the dose to the amount of the previous dose that was tolerated for another week before attempting to increase. This will be determined by the allergist.
  10. Is there any other testing that will be done during the program?
    Repeat skin testing and blood testing will be done once the patient becomes desensitized.
  11. How is my insurance billed for this program?
    The 1 day RUSH procedure will be billed as a RUSH Desensitization.
    The weekly follow up visits will be billed as a Food Challenge.
    The periodic visits with the allergist will be billed as an Office Visit.
    Appropriate co-pays or deductibles will apply.
  12. Do I need an Epi-pen if I undergo this treatment?
    All patients and their caretakers will be prescribed an Epi-pen or Twinject. Patients will be instructed on its use and are required to carry it at all times.
  13. When will I need to have scheduled visits with the office during this program?
    Patients will be instructed to have an office visit with the MD and/or Nurse Practitioner prior to the program to discuss the program and answer all questions. The patient will be seen again by the MD and/or Nurse Practitioner during the RUSH day. Please note there will always be a MD present in the office during the RUSH procedure. The patient will then see the Nurse or Nurse Practitioner at subsequent one week one hour visits in which the dose is doubled. The patient will also see the MD at the 3 month and the 6 month point into the protocol.
  14. What do I do if I miss taking the food during the build up?
    If more than two days (48 hours) are missed between doses, then the patient/parent must contact our office for instructions regarding the next dose.
  15. What do we do if the patient is taking other medications or is sick during the program?
    It is ok to continue taking other medications during the protocol including antihistamines, nasal steroids, antibiotics, and reflux medications.
    If patient is unable to eat because of an illness, the patient/parent must inform our office so that instructions can be given. Typically, we would instruct the patient to take a smaller portion of the required dose spaced out over the day of the illness.
  16. What do I do if we have air travel plans?
    We recommend the required dose be given at least 2 hours prior to air travel to ensure no adverse reaction occurs during air travel.
  17. What risks are associated with Food Allergy Oral Desensitization?
    Significant risk of adverse reactions exists for all patients undergoing Food Allergy Oral Desensitization. The following are examples of potential reactions that one may experience: hives, rash, swelling, throat closure, asthma, coughing, trouble breathing, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, loss of blood pressure, shock and possible death.
  18. What is the goal of this procedure?
    The goal is to induce a state of desensitization in which the patient is able to consume an increased amount of the allergic food without experiencing any adverse reactions. Please be very aware: In order to maintain this state of desensitization, the patient will need to indefinitely consume the food at least on a daily basis. If a patient fails to maintain at least a daily consumption of the food, he/she may lose their desensitized state and be at risk again of an adverse reaction with its consumption.
  19. Will all patients tolerate exposure to the food?
    Some patients may not be able to tolerate Food Allergy Oral Densensitization because they may experience significant or repeated adverse reactions during the buildup process of incremental exposure to the food or during the maintenance phase.
  20. Will Food Allergy Oral Desensitization affect my ability to outgrow the allergy naturally?
    It is unknown whether food oral desensitization will negatively or positively affect your ability to outgrow your food allergy. Repeat skin and blood allergy testing will be performed periodically to monitor your food allergy to determine if you are becoming more or less allergic to the food.

Southwest Allergy & Asthma Center Food Desensitization Graduates


Food Allergy Oral Desensitization


The Food Allergy Treatment Center