Can the NHS refer for immunotherapy without anaphylaxis for severe allergies?

[userlotsanumbers]

I have had a lifetime of allergies, you name it, I have problems with it: fragrance, dogs, cats, dust, birch trees, any stoned fruit, apples, wheat, sulphites...the list is long and distinguished. However, not to the point of anaphylaxis, just the facial swelling, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, exhaustion kinda thing. I manage to avoid most allergens to a greater degree, it's a pain, but it's my life and I am used to it.

It's getting worse as I age, and I have just spent the most miserable period since mid-February with seemingly a permanent 'flu' due to hay fever (tree pollen) and it's ongoing. Still.

I am exhausted, and I want to try immunotherapy. However, I am hearing that the NHS will not refer unless in cases where anaphylaxis occurs. Does anyone know if this is correct, and then does anyone know how much places like the Spire charge for a course of immunotherapy.

Thanks in advance for any help, I am on my knees here with it.

I can't help on that front, but can I check what the docs have you on?

I have severe hay fever, and a dust mite allergy and I take fexofenadine 180mg (not the 120mg standard dose), top it up with a loratidine in the evenings if necessary (not officially allowed by the doctor but medic friends have unofficially said that they do). I also take a steroid nasal spray, and I used to need eye drops as well but I have been lucky enough that it has reduced somewhat since then.

I expect you're already on everything you possibly can be but just thought it was worth asking.

I don’t know if it depends on the area but my adult son was told they only give it to children on the NHS.

ETA: He does have anaphylaxis. Again, I don’t know if that makes a difference.

Hi thanks for the reply
I am on fexofenidine 120mg, cetirizine, sinus washes twice per day, nasal spray.
NOTHING is touching it, hence my desperation!

This is my concern, that it is not commissioned any longer. I don't really have the means to pay, but equally, I can't live like this.

I know 2 siblings having this. Neither have anaphylaxis. They are teenagers.

Are they under 18?

Yes under 18.

Sorry, just come across this.

Ask them to put you up to 180mg on the fexofenadine while you're waiting to find out. And have a go and check if loratidine helps you more than cetirizine does.

You can also look at doing an "individual funding request" if they say it's not offered to adults in your area. I wouldn't give it a high likelihood of success but it's probably worth a punt.

My dd reacts to fresh air in the same way you describe. She is nearly 13 now but i lost my shot when she was 5 and demanded she was put on methotrexate. It has done wonders.

You need to speak to your GP. But yes they can use immunotherapy without anaphylaxis

Thank you, everyone. This is helpful. I will try my GP and ask for individual funding or at the very least, a referral, and discuss methotrexate.

One of the problems we have now is that a GP can agree, and make a referral, but non-medical clerks in a referral triage centre can refuse any 'non-standard' requests that 'don't meet the criteria'. These people will not, of course, liaise with the patient - no-one will, so your referral gets stopped dead without you knowing.

I will need to have a good conversation with the GP about this, as I do not want this sort of fuckery delaying the issue even further.