Why doesn't taking an antihistmine deminish the effect of the allergy shot?!


Question: It seems to me that if you are taking an antihistamine before you get your allergy shot, then you body wouldn't have to deal with the allergens in the shot and your body wouldn't learn how to cope with the allergens. Can anyone explain how this works? I just started taking allergy shots, but I wasn't told to take an antihistamine until after my fourth shot...... (grass, trees and ragweed are in my brew.)


Answers: It seems to me that if you are taking an antihistamine before you get your allergy shot, then you body wouldn't have to deal with the allergens in the shot and your body wouldn't learn how to cope with the allergens. Can anyone explain how this works? I just started taking allergy shots, but I wasn't told to take an antihistamine until after my fourth shot...... (grass, trees and ragweed are in my brew.)

Joan: Antihistamines don't stop the allergic reaction, they stop the production of histamine as a result of an allergic reaction.
Does that make sense? See you get exposed to the allergen, then you make IgE and it is the IgE that causes the mast cells to produce histamine. Histamine is what causes the symptoms of allergy. Your antihistamine does not block IgE production, it just stops the histamine production.
Clear as mud?





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