It is very unusual for tree nut allergies to get better by themselves over time. Once allergic, that is usually you for life.

People can be allergic just to one nut, some people are allergic to several different ones, including peanut.

We can offer food immunotherapy whether you are allergic to just one nut, or several. Having treatment for multiple nut allergies increases the risks of allergic reactions slightly and can take slightly longer to get to the final target dose, but is still successful in the majority of cases.

For hazelnut and cashew allergies, we start with commercial hazelnut and/or cashew milk, then switch to nut flour.

Pistachio allergy is closely linked to cashew allergy, so much so that treatment with cashew will desensitise for both cashew and pistachio.

What is treatment like?

There are three stages.

Stage 1 – you receive increasing doses of very dilute nut milk (or nut flour) in clinic under our supervision every 30 minutes until you have taken 3-5 doses. These are very small doses, added to food/drink. We expect most people to have no problems with this first day of treatment.

You continue the same final dose for the next 2 weeks at home, once a day, with food/drink.

Stage 2 – called “updosing”. You then come back to us to try a new, higher dose. We observe you for at least 60 minutes before you can go home.

You continue to take your dose at home very day.

We repeat this process, where you take your daily dose at home and come back every 2 weeks for a new dose, for about 6 months, until you achieve the final target daily dose.

Stage 3 – called “maintenance”. After about 6 months of clinic visits every 2 weeks, once you can take the final target daily dose without a problem, you have reached stage 3. You continue to give the same daily dose at home for at least 6 months. After that, we discuss options for going forward.

Does it work?

Approximately 70–90 % of people will achieve the final maintenance dose (stage 3), which is roughly 2-4 hazelnuts or cashews. The rest stop treatment for reasons such as side effects (itching of the mouth, abdominal pain). A small number of people will have anaphylaxis during treatment (estimated at 4%), which is why we will check you know how to treat reactions and provide you with adrenaline auto-injectors (Epipens) if you don’t have them already.

60% of people who get to stage 3 are able to eat much more than 2-4 nuts.

Younger children appear to get a better response to treatment.

How much will it cost?

You need an initial assessment visit – this is to discuss the balance of risks and benefits with you (the person with allergies) and your parents/carers. We will explain the process and answer any questions you may have, before committing to treatment. This is not intended as opportunity to discuss allergies in general, or diagnose allergies – if you have not been seen in an allergy clinic already, you would have to do that first (either here at Glasgow Private Clinic, or through the NHS or elsewhere). 

This first visit is charged at £150. We will try to ensure this first visit is appropriate by getting some initial details from you by phone or email.

The total cost of treatment is £6000 for a single tree nut.

This covers: 

• Initial consultation
• Management of any allergic reactions happening in the clinic 
• Initial dose escalation visit (4-5 hours)
• 24hr phone/email support
• 7-10 dose escalation visits (1 hour)
• Any additional visits (for example, because of a gap in treatment or illness)
• Support from specialist dietician if required
• Additional consultations relating to side effects (but this would not cover involvement of other medical specialists)
• Final consultation at end of first year of treatment.
• Annual follow up after that is recommended but not included in the above price.

Multiple Food Allergies

We can combine foods to treat multiple food allergies at the same time. This makes it cheaper for you as we charge £3000 for each additional tree nut or food, and the number of updose visits will likely be much less than doing single foods one after the other.

Refund policy

If you change your mind before starting stage 1 (initial escalation visit) – full refund minus a £250 administration fee (a further charge of £250 will be applied if less than 7 days’ notice is given).

If you do not progress beyond the Initial Escalation visit – 70% refund minus a £250 administration fee.

If you stop treatment before the 6th up dosing visit – 50% refund minus a £250 administration fee. 

If you stop treatment after the 6th up dosing visit but before the 10th up dosing visit – 25% refund minus a £250 administration fee. 

If you stop treatment after the 10th up dosing visit – no refund.

We are able to offer a payment plan, where the cost of the treatment is spread over the first 6 months. This incurs a £100 administration fee on each of 3 payments.

Payment 1 – must be received prior to Initial Escalation visit – 50% of total

Payment 2 – 2 months after Initial Escalation visit – 25% of total

Payment 3 – 4 months after Initial Escalation visit – 25% of total

Want to know more?

Book an initial appointment with us here – we can do face to face, video or phone. Coming to meet us is best as you can view our facilities here at Glasgow Private Clinic.