How to Conduct Test Exposures for Allergies with LDI

Hi, I’m Dr. Ty Vincent, and in this post, we’re discussing how to do test exposures when treating allergies with low dose immunotherapy (LDI). One key difference between treating allergies and chronic immune issues, like Lyme disease or Crohn’s disease, is that with allergies, you need to be exposed to the allergen to determine if the treatment is working.

For conditions like Lyme disease or acne, the antigen is internal, and symptoms change passively over time. But with allergies, if you’ve been avoiding the allergen, you’ll need to expose yourself to it to gauge if the LDI dose has been effective. This process can cause anxiety, especially for those with severe or life-threatening allergies, so let’s explore how to safely conduct test exposures.

Testing for Mild Allergies

If you have a relatively mild allergic reaction, you’ll need to expose yourself to whatever triggers your symptoms—whether it’s a food, grass, an animal, or a chemical. Make sure to use something you know will reliably trigger a reaction, not something you haven’t tested before. You want a reliable and reproducible reaction based on your past experiences.

For example, if you have a mild reaction to corn, start by eating just one kernel. If your allergy is more severe but you’re unsure of the extent, you can start by testing the allergen on your skin. This is especially helpful for young children who might have life-threatening reactions to certain foods. Rub a small amount of the allergen on the skin (like almond butter for a nut allergy) and monitor for redness, itching, or swelling. This gives you enough information without risking a severe reaction.

Gradually Increasing Exposure

If you don’t react to the initial test exposure, you can increase the exposure amount. For example, if one kernel of corn doesn’t cause a reaction, try five kernels, then ten, and so on. The goal is to see whether your reaction has disappeared or if you still react at a different threshold.

If you used to react to just two kernels of corn but now only react after 25 kernels, it indicates progress, though there’s still work to be done. This step-by-step approach helps determine how much your allergy has improved with LDI treatment.

Finding Reliable Test Exposures

For reliable test exposures, choose something that consistently triggers your symptoms. Whether it’s a chemical, a pet, grass, or mold, the exposure should be something you’ve reacted to before.

For mold sensitivity, thrift stores are a good test environment due to the prevalence of mold in second-hand items. You could also use a specific location, like a mold-infested building or basement, that you know causes symptoms.

For chemical sensitivities, you might need to venture outside your usual chemical-free home. You could use small items like a car deodorizer, a perfume sample, or sunscreen. Apply a small amount to your skin or smell it to see if it triggers a reaction. Again, you don’t need to make yourself miserable—just use enough to determine whether you still react.

When You Don’t Know the Allergen

Sometimes, people don’t know what they’re allergic to, especially in cases like children with eczema or those with chronic digestive symptoms where the specific food allergen is unclear. In these instances, we treat allergies similarly to chronic internal conditions. We progressively use stronger antigen dilutions until we see changes in symptoms, even without a clear test exposure.

Having a reliable test exposure is helpful, but it’s not necessary for LDI to work. If we can engineer a good test exposure, it will make it easier to track progress and make informed decisions about your treatment. However, even without test exposures, LDI can still be implemented effectively.

By following these steps, you can safely and strategically test whether LDI is working for your allergies. This process allows us to gauge progress while keeping you safe.