Oral Immunotherapy (OIT)

No. Oral immunotherapy (OIT) should only be started in a clinical setting under the supervision of your allergy team.

While recent research has shown that OIT can be safe and effective—particularly in preschool-aged children—there is still a risk of allergic reactions, including serious reactions like anaphylaxis. 

For your safety, all initial doses and any dose increases must be administered in a controlled medical environment where immediate care is available if needed.

OIT should never be started at home or without direct guidance from your allergy team. Your care team will work closely with you throughout the process to ensure it is as safe and effective as possible.

We currently offer OIT for:

• Peanut
• Almond
• Hazelnut
• Cashew
• Pistachio
• Walnut
• Pecan
• Chickpea
• Lentil
• Sesame
• Mustard

Although the evidence for safety and efficacy is not as great as with Peanut. Suitability for other foods will be discussed with your Allergy Team. 

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) has been shown to have the highest success rates in children aged 5 and under with a diagnosed peanut allergy. For these patients, OIT offers promising results in reducing the risk of severe allergic reactions from accidental exposure.

While OIT can be effective for children older than 5, the risk of side effects tends to be higher, and the research on its efficacy in children over the age of 6 is still evolving.

We currently offer OIT to patients aged 18 and under, as it can significantly reduce the anxiety associated with food allergies and improve overall quality of life by lowering the risk of accidental exposures.

For adults, we consider OIT on a case-by-case basis, carefully weighing the potential benefits and risks. Your allergy team will guide you through the process and determine if OIT is right for you based on your unique needs.

 Before starting oral immunotherapy (OIT), your allergy team will first confirm the presence of a true food allergy. This typically involves a combination of diagnostic tests, including skin prick testing, specific IgE blood tests, and in some cases, an oral food challenge conducted in our clinic.

An oral graded food challenge is a closely monitored procedure in which you consume gradually increasing amounts of the suspected allergen under medical supervision. This helps us safely determine whether an allergic reaction occurs and the severity of the response.

If you and the allergy team decide that OIT is the right path forward, we will schedule a series of 8–10 in-office appointments, usually spaced about two weeks apart. During these visits, your dose of the allergenic food will be carefully increased. Each dose is administered under observation, and you will be asked to stay in the clinic for 60 minutes afterward to ensure there are no adverse reactions.If the dose is well tolerated, you will continue taking it daily at home until your next dose increase visit.

Once you reach your maintenance dose, you’ll remain on that dose daily for approximately one year. After this period, you will return to the clinic for a food challenge to a larger quantity of the allergenic food to assess your level of desensitization.

Throughout this process, your safety is our top priority. Your allergy team will provide close monitoring, guidance, and support every step of the way.

 A referral is needed from your primary care provider (family doctor or walk in clinic) before an appointment can be booked with our office. Once the referral has been received, you will be placed on our wait list and contacted for an appointment.