Pros and Cons of Alternative Treatments for Food Allergies

Food allergies are overwhelming, and sometimes you get to a point where you will almost do anything or try anything to take them away—at least, this was my experience. After years of dealing with pesky food allergies to wheat, dairy, and corn, amongst others, I came to a point where I was open to trying alternative treatments and complementary therapies to see if they would help.

Over the years, I have tried NAET (Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Techniques) and Food Desensitization, both by a holistic practitioner. In my experience doing these treatments, I decided to share the pros and cons of alternative treatments.

The benefits of alternative treatments

A new sense of hope for relief

Whenever I tried these new treatments and met with the practitioner, I experienced a renewed hope for relief. I would think, "Maybe this time will be when my symptoms improve. Maybe now it will work, and I can improve my allergies."

And this new hope would fill me up and give me newfound energy to tackle my food allergy symptoms.

Temporary results

In both of these alternative treatments, I did experience positive results. Although they were temporary, it was amazing to experience results even for a short amount of time. It was lovely to feel a bit more normal again.

Learning new information about allergies

Each practitioner I used educated me in the area of allergies. I learned about how their treatments functioned, which was interesting.

They also educated me on other things that may relieve food allergies, like healing foods and supplements. I learned about the immune and digestive systems. I definitely gained more insight about my condition going through these treatments.

The downsides of alternative treatments

Time-consuming

Both treatments are time-consuming.  I had to drive long distances to each appointment. The actual treatments take time and patience to see results. I had to take a lot of time out of my day to coordinate these appointments.

High cost

For both alternative treatments, I had to pay out-of-pocket. And the costs were not cheap! I spent a lot of money on receiving these treatments, and perhaps it may not have been worth the price considering that I only had temporary results.

Feeling let down

Because the results were great yet temporary, I felt let down. I spent a lot of time driving far to both offices. I spent a lot of money. It was a huge bummer to feel well from the treatments and get excited with the results to return to where I used to be.

Consider these factors in your food allergy treatment

Overall, I don't want to discourage anyone from trying these approaches. Many other people with allergies may find success with these treatments; it just wasn't my experience. 

But while I got temporary relief, it was a fantastic feeling to eat foods I am allergic to without symptoms for a short time.

Have you tried alternative therapies for food allergies? What was your experience?