Administering allergens under the tongue, or sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) only requires a fraction of the dose administered orally. By virtue of such a low, effective dose, adverse reactions are rare. There are 4 office visits, 1-2 weeks apart with allowing you to reach your maintenance dose within 1-2 months. Unlike OIT, there is no rest period before or after dosing with SLIT. We tested a dozen patients on an exercise bike with dosing immediately after exercise, followed by more exercise post-dose: they all did great!

The average cost is ~$3000-$5,000 depending on your deductible and copay.

For out of state and International patients, food SLIT can be done remotely.  Learn more about this convenient option here.

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 7-8 months. Cost ~$3000-6,000 depending on your deductible and copay.

For our less severely allergic patients we have a shorter, and thus less expensive, course that we ‘personalize’ to you. We do that by performing an oral food challenge (OFC) until you reach a mid-dose level or have a reaction. If the OFC is uneventful, you roll-over into our Sarasota Protocol OIT schedule with ~4 buildup dose visits remaining to reach maintenance. For those that have a reaction during the OFC, we back up two doses and continue you on the OIT protocol from there. Cost ranges from $3,000-4,000.

All treatment options 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.