# Can one become tolerant of an allergy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 5, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-become-tolerant-of-an-allergy/502018 "2009-07-05T22:49:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-become-tolerant-of-an-allergy/502018/21 "2009-07-07T22:57:43Z")
Homeopathic remedies do exactly nothing, since they contain exactly nothing but pure water. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-become-tolerant-of-an-allergy/502018/22 "2009-07-07T23:11:28Z")
My environmental allergies (typical shit both inside and outside) have diminished significantly over the years. They used to be very bad from the teenage years all the way into my 30’s. Over time they just naturally dimished to the point where I can now go months between popping pills, where early on I could eat drugs on an hourly basis and that only took the edge off. Nothing has really changed besides my age. If anything, I would suspect my exposure to the problem materials is now somewhat higher and more constant than it used to be. I think my body just finally gave up 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-become-tolerant-of-an-allergy/502018/23 "2009-07-07T23:36:50Z")
> [@On another topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/544243/3): > > But I also came across a children’s homeopathic product called [Allergy Relief](http://www.seacoastvitamins.com/product_info.php?products_id=2326). It’s for seasonal and environmental allergies, and is of course all natural. But the cool thing about homeopathic remedies is that they can help heal the body over time… Ooooooh, goodie-it’s GQ. I look forward to your cite, since you’ve decided to suggest nonsensical, proven-ineffective treatments for people who have potentially life-threatening allergies. A pointer to the clinical trial results, or a summary of same would be sufficient. Since quackmeds usually don’t bother with clinical trials, I’ll also accept any double-blind, controlled study done under unbiased conditions. Anecdotal data (it worked for me!) will be rudely rejected, as will anything with “results not typical” or “not intended for the treatment or cure of any disease or condition” printed on it. [QUOTE=Chronos] Homeopathic remedies do exactly nothing, since they contain exactly nothing but pure water. [/QUOTE] Nah, some of them contain other inert ingredients, as well, such as the infamous wax in HeadOn. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-become-tolerant-of-an-allergy/502018/24 "2009-07-08T02:44:39Z")
A “real” homeopathic medication, assuming that term has any meaning at all, would be so diluted that the chances of finding a molecule of the supposedly “effective” substance is small. I think few homeopathic medications are “real” in that sense nowadays. Take the recent to-do about [Zicam](http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/06/16/zicam-the-fda-and-homeopathy/). > [@](#): > > The FDA just warned consumers to stop using certain Zicam Cold Remedy products designed to be used in the nose. The agency said it has received more than 130 reports of loss of smell associated with the use of the products, which are available without a prescription. > > The warning letter the agency sent to Matrixx Initiatives, which sells Zicam, illuminates a corner of the health-care world we don’t often mention on the blog: homeopathy. > > According to this explainer from the National Institutes of Health, homeopathy is based on “giving extremely small doses of substances that produce characteristic symptoms of illness in healthy people when given in larger doses.” (The active ingredient in Zicam is a form of zinc.) The charge is that there’s enough zinc in the product to cause loss of smell. The company disputes any such charges. [http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2007-08-01-zicam\_N.htm](http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2007-08-01-zicam_N.htm) > [@](#): > > Matrixx settled a batch of 340 lawsuits for $12 million in January 2006, court and SEC documents show. The company did not admit fault. Since then, Matrixx has fought off more lawsuits using a panel of medical experts and piles of scientific evidence. “Real” homeopathic medications are pure quackery. The stuff that is peddled today is either totally ineffective or harmful. Nothing outside anecdotal responses indicates that it is helpful. neuf08, are we piling on you? I certainly hope so. Nobody should recommend homeopathy for anything, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-become-tolerant-of-an-allergy/502018/25 "2009-07-08T05:28:25Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I think few homeopathic medications are “real” in that sense nowadays. Take the recent to-do about [Zicam](http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/06/16/zicam-the-fda-and-homeopathy/). Not to dispute anything about homeopathic medications (Which I agree with everything y’all are saying), but as far as I was aware, Zicam wasn’t considered or marketed as a homeopathic medication. First, Zicam actually had something in it (Hence the problem with it), second, there were actual studies on the effectiveness of Zinc and Vitamin C in lowing the duration of the common cold. Again, I do agree with y’all on homeopathic medications, the only thing it actually does is activate the Placebo effect on people, and for the record, I never did recommend Zicam, I thought it wasn’t worth the price for one or two days less on a cold. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-become-tolerant-of-an-allergy/502018/26 "2009-07-08T15:35:49Z")
> [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](#): > > Not to dispute anything about homeopathic medications (Which I agree with everything y’all are saying), but as far as I was aware, Zicam wasn’t considered or marketed as a homeopathic medication. You must mean except for the word [homepathic plastered in giant letters across the front of the box](http://www.ec-bay.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/b6-17-11.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-become-tolerant-of-an-allergy/502018/27 "2009-07-08T15:40:23Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > You must mean except for the word [homepathic plastered in giant letters across the front of the box](http://www.ec-bay.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/b6-17-11.jpg). 8.5 (alas, you lost points for referring to 10 pt. type as “giant”) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-become-tolerant-of-an-allergy/502018/28 "2009-07-08T21:32:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Homeopathic remedies do exactly nothing, since they contain exactly nothing but pure water. Don’t be ridiculous. That water was blessed by Tibetan monks through rituals passed down for millenia. Of course it works. Never did we know more about medicine than the stone ages. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-become-tolerant-of-an-allergy/502018/29 "2009-07-09T00:10:39Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > You must mean except for the word [homepathic plastered in giant letters across the front of the box](http://www.ec-bay.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/b6-17-11.jpg). Ok, so it was advertised as homeopathic… Guess I just never studied the box hard enough. I never recommended it to anyone just because it wasn’t effective enough to be worth the \>$20 price tag when you could just drink a bunch of cheap OJ. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-become-tolerant-of-an-allergy/502018.md?page=1)