We have been offering oral immunotherapy (OIT) by the traditional protocol since 2012. You will come to the office every 1-2 weeks for a gradually increasing dose. That dose is taken daily at home until the next time you come in. Following each dose there is a two-hour rest period. The typical time course is 6-8 months to your top dose. Average cost ~$4,000 (not covered by insurance).

In an effort to make OIT less burdensome and more affordable we developed the Sarasota Protocol. This consists of 7-8 monthly visits with two doses 30 minutes apart in the office. You will dose daily at home followed by the same two hour rest period as above. The typical time course is 8-10 months. Cost ~$500-3,000 depending on your deductible and copay.

Administering allergens under the tongue, or sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) only requires a fraction of the dose administered orally or in the form of an allergy shot. By virtue of such a low, effective dose, adverse reactions are rare. We offer food SLIT in patients over 5 years old (they have to be mature enough to hold the small dose under their tongue for two minutes). There are 5-6 visits, 1-2 weeks apart with a typical time course of ~2 months. There is a 30-minute rest period after daily dosing. The average cost is ~$500-$1,500 depending on your deductible and copay.

All three treatments require daily dosing at home between visits and ongoing maintenance dosing at the completion of the build-up phase. Dosing continues indefinitely to maintain desensitization. Allergy testing will be done annually to track your declining sensitivity to the food. Each year we aim to slowly reduce your dosing frequency from daily to a few times a week and even less for those that start at a young age.