Considering 4 Allergy Shots per Visit for My Son – Is Phenol a Concern?

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My 12-year-old son has suffered from hay fever since he was 2. Every spring, his symptoms are severe — he can’t breathe through his nose, has intense eye itching, and deals with seasonal asthma. In the past couple of years, he’s also started having milder symptoms in other seasons, though spring is still the worst.

He takes antihistamines and both medicated and non-medicated nasal sprays from March until mid-June, and then on and off for the rest of the year as needed. We’ve also made a lot of lifestyle changes — daily saline rinse, encased his pillows and mattress, use an air purifier, and give him supplements to help his body handle allergens. Despite all of that, he still struggles a lot.

He’s also been mouth breathing on and off, which concerns his airway-focused orthodontist. She explained that chronic mouth breathing can lead to other issues over time, including facial development concerns, and may even be related to his jaw clicking.

In addition, he has had two nasal surgeries using the MIST technique. The first was to correct a deviated septum and enlarge his airways. Two years later, he had another surgery to remove a concha bullosa. In both procedures, the ENT performed cryoablation.

We tried sublingual allergy drops years ago, but I didn’t fully understand the process and wasn’t consistent. Now that I know more, I actually like that approach. However, our insurance doesn’t cover sublingual drops — only allergy shots. I’m seriously considering shots now because I’ve heard from others that they can be very effective.

Because of the range of allergens my son reacts to, the allergist says he’ll need four separate serums, meaning four shots per appointment — two in each arm. This would be a long-term commitment (3–5 years), and I’m worried about the cumulative exposure to the other ingredients in the shots over time — especially phenol, which I understand is a preservative.

The company my allergist uses is Stallergenes Greer, and their shot formulations include:

Saline (sodium chloride solution) – as a base Glycerin – stabilizer and preservative Phenol – preservative to prevent contamination Phosphate buffers – to control pH Human Serum Albumin (HSA)

Can anyone speak to the safety of these ingredients, especially phenol, when given as four shots per visit? I’m trying to weigh the benefits against any potential long-term side effects. Also, if anyone has suggestions on how to support the body or possibly detox from these ingredients, I’d really appreciate it.

Thank you so much.

Ana

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Thank you for sharing the article. He had a GI-MAP test done in 2022 and worked with a functional nutricionist for almost 2 years, but unfortunately, we didn’t see much improvement. Now that he’s a preteen , he’s also become more reluctant to eat the foods that are good for him, which makes things even harder. He currently takes a multi-strain probiotic, turkey tail, and tri-butyrin, among other supplements. It seems like the microbiome is the root of so many health issues, it’s also difficult to fix. I’m feeling a bit discouraged, it’s been a long road, and we’re hoping for something that will help. Do you happen to know any effective ways or protocols to help improve the microbiome, especially in kids? I’d really appreciate any suggestions

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Presently I’m doing these things for my own gut issues (post vaccination syndrome):

  1. Prebiotics: Inulin and Pomegranate Peel Powder, also Colostrum (not technically a prebiotic but it supports the gut)

  2. Probiotics: 24-strain

  3. Postbiotics: Calcium Magnesium Butyrate

For me, the combination of pre, pro, and post has made a significant difference, though I can’t say which ones make the biggest impact or if it’s the combination.

I’m about to experiment with Urolithin-A after my naturopath mentioned it. It is a postbiotic and something that some people are able to create in their gut when given Pomegranate products or Walnuts, though not all people can or if they do they might not produce it in sufficient quantities.

I got interested in pomegranate peel powder after listening to Dr. Jason Hawrelak speak. He is a renowned expert in the microbiome. Dr Jason Hawrelak | The Microbiome Restoration Center . He mentions that prebiotics are more important than probiotics. Feeding and supporting your existing beneficial microbes often has a more lasting impact than simply adding new ones.

- Probiotics introduce specific strains, but they may not colonize long-term without the right “food” and environment.

- Prebiotics directly nourish the microbes that already live in the mucosal environment — including those near crypt openings — and indirectly support the epithelial and immune cells inside crypts.

- By improving the habitat (via SCFA production, pH modulation, and barrier support), prebiotics help crypts maintain a healthy interface between host tissue and microbiota.

They talk about the Brain, Gut, Immune axis, and if you can fix one of those three, you improve the other two. This is why I first think of allergies, an immune condition, and addressing the gut as a way to help.

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Thank you for sharing all of that! Have you ever done a GI-MAP or any similar testing to see what your starting point was or if there were specific pathogens or imbalances to address? I agree with what you said about the gut-immune-brain axis - it makes a lot of sense, especially when dealing with something like allergies. Thanks again for the insights!

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Hi @papoula73 here’s the search on our site for allergies.

And a link to our:

Allergy Guide Allergy Guide: Allergens, Intolerances, Allergies & Histamine

Eat your way to Allergy Relief - Eat Your Way to Allergy Relief: FLCCC Nutritional Guide

What is a Low Histamine diet - What is a Low-Histamine Diet? Your Path to Health!

Hope there’s info there that’ll help

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Being a non-medical laymen, I asked our AI your question about Phenols - So please take everything with the required “is it actually the truth” pinch of salt - It was interesting to learn though what the phenol was actually for. Here’s the response.

Phenol is commonly used as a preservative in allergy immunotherapy injections, including those produced by Stallergenes Greer, to prevent contamination of the allergen extracts. The concentration of phenol used in these formulations is significantly lower than levels considered toxic and is standard practice in allergy shot preparations. The amount delivered with each injection is orders of magnitude below what would be needed to cause harm, even with multiple shots per visit.

Safety of Phenol in Allergy Injections

  • The levels of phenol in allergy immunotherapy are typically around 0.4%, resulting in only a few micrograms per injection.
  • Phenol toxicity is associated with much higher doses—not the microgram scale seen in immunotherapy. Safety evaluation by allergist groups and toxicology data reinforce that the risk of phenol toxicity from allergy shots at these doses is negligible.
  • Phenol is included to ensure the solution remains bacteriostatic and safe for use, which helps minimize the risk of bacterial infection from multi-dose vials.

Other Ingredients and General Risks

  • Other common ingredients include saline as the diluent, glycerin and phosphate buffers as stabilizers and preservatives, and occasionally human serum albumin (HSA) for protein stability.
  • Reactions to allergy shots are generally due to the allergens themselves, not preservatives. Most reactions are mild, such as local redness or swelling at the injection site. More serious reactions are rare but possible and related primarily to the allergen, not to phenol or other excipients.
  • All patients are observed after injections to monitor for severe allergic reactions, regardless of preservative content.

Clinical Guidelines and Manufacturer Information

  • Use of phenol and these preservatives is supported by major allergy and immunology organizations worldwide. Product inserts and medical guidelines highlight the very low risk and need for bacteriostatic preservatives to ensure safe handling.
  • Stallergenes Greer and other manufacturers also have safety protocols and reporting mechanisms for suspected side effects, including rare situations where patients may have specific sensitivities to preservatives.

In summary, the presence of phenol in allergy immunotherapy from Stallergenes Greer is not considered an issue when used as directed and at the concentrations present in these injections. The preservatives used serve an important safety function and have a long track record of safe use in this context.

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Thnk you so much for looking into this. It’s good to hear phenol is used in such small amounts and has a solid safety track record. Appreciate you taking the time!

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Thanks for the links!

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Hi, I would like to recommend that you get your son started on QiGong, It is similar to Tai Chi but much easier to learn. It will help balance your son’s breathing and give him many special exercises that will coordinate his breathing, mind intent, and movement. I predict the results will be profound!

Below you will find a link to a page at my website where I have posted a thread containing the answer (by Perplexity.ai) to my question, “Would practicing QiGong be a good approach to tackle childhood allergies and asthma for a preteen boy?”

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/would-practicing-qigong-be-a-g-WUAwjfSbR5iLZGUcCYFM_A#0

It is pretty comprehensive with mention of research studies and references. So, for your convenience here is the introductory paragraph:

“Yes, QiGong can be a valuable complementary approach to
support a preteen boy with allergies and asthma, when used alongside
conventional medical care. Clinical and traditional evidence supports
its potential benefits for respiratory regulation, immune balance, and
stress reduction.”

Click on the link for the rest of the answer posted there. If you have trouble accessing it, please reply to my post here, and I will followup. Good luck to you and your son!

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Hi there

Sorry to hear about your struggles with your son. I’m not going to be able to answer your questions about phenol but I did manage to have my son treated for dust and mould allergies many years ago when he was young (about 8 years old). He had been getting croup as a baby and then breathing difficulties in the winter as a young child. Respiratory specialist said it was ‘pre-asthma’ (what is that?) but I looked elsewhere. I found a naturopath who was able to diagnose his allergies through kinesiology and then also treated him by ‘de-sensitising’ him through kinesiology and pressure points. It was really quite interesting how she did it. She had him hold a vial of diluted allergen and then pressed various points on his meridiens as well as up and down either side of his spine. We did this weekly for about 6 weeks and he has had no symptoms since then (he is now 35 years old). This practitioner had been recommended to me by our wholistic dentist whose wife had an anaphylactic allergy to seafood and was successfully treated in this way. I am not sure where you would find such a practitioner where you live, but I am sure you could. It might be the way to go while you ponder the injection route.

Good luck and best wishes to you and your son

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I have worked with an injectable homeopathic remedy from Germany (Ruberkehl) that can clear allergies for up to 5 years with often just one injection. Seriously! I learned about this at a conference about 25 years ago. I don’t have this info on my website but you can contact me through the website www.drlindawright.net.