Address the root cause of your allergies today.

Yes, sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for allergic rhinitis is now available through Sesame!

First, book a video environmental allergy consult allergy testing referral consult so that a healthcare provider can assess your symptoms, review your medical history, and order a lab if appropriate to determine which allergies are causing your symptoms. Your provider will then guide you on next steps based on their assessment of your medical history.

If your provider recommends sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) treatment, the first dose will be administered in-person with observation from a healthcare provider. This is so they can watch out for a rare but serious allergic reaction like anaphylaxis. If applicable, your provider will invite you to schedule an in-person allergy treatment initial dose visit.

Prescription refill visits are available on Sesame.

There are several key differences between allergy tablets (SLIT) and allergy shots, also known as subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). Allergy tablets are considered to be safer than allergy shots, as the likelihood of a full-body reaction is less likely than with SCIT shots. SLIT tablets are also considerably more convenient since they can be self-administered at home.

However, allergy tablets are only available for a limited number of allergens (ragweed, dust mites and grass pollens), whereas allergy shots are able to address a much wider range. Allergy shots also appear to be slightly more effective than allergy tablets in addressing allergy symptoms long-term.

SLIT-tablet therapy for pollen allergies should commence three to four months ahead of the allergen season, since the tablets are designed to enhance your body's resilience to pollen and gradually diminish your allergic reactions over time. For grass pollen allergies, it’s typically recommended that patients start the tablets in January. For ragweed pollen allergies, it’s typically recommended that patients start the tablets in May. However, these timelines can change depending on your location and the local allergen season schedule. Dust mite SLIT-tablet therapy, on the other hand, can be started any time of year and is taken year-round.

For lasting results, the treatment can extend to three years or more. Once started, daily therapy should persist until the pollen season concludes.

To be eligible for SLIT, you must have allergies to certain grass pollens and/or dust mites. These allergies must be confirmed by skin testing or blood work in order for a clinician to prescribe SLIT tablets. The initial tablet administration must also be observed in-person by a healthcare provider for at least 30 minutes to ensure proper management of potential adverse events to the medication.

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is not indicated for patients who have severe or uncontrolled asthma or a history of eosinophilic esophagitis. Patients should also discuss any hypersensitivities to the inactive tablet ingredients with their healthcare provider.

The most common side effects reported by patients undergoing SLIT tablet therapy include itchy ears, and itching or mild swelling of the tongue, lips and throat. These side effects were reported by about 25% of clinical trial participants and typically do not last longer than an hour.

Though extremely rare, anaphylaxis can occur. For this reason, patients are required to have an epinephrine autoinjector (EpiPen) on hand when administering the tablets at home.