DEAR DR. GOTT: I read the story in the newspaper about the person who got an infection and sunscreen helped her. I also have a story that is also weird.
My daughter suffers from allergies which are severe. She is allergic to almost everything and has been since the age of 4. At 12, I had her allergies tested and they were off the chart. She tested positive for all weeds, most trees, grass, animals, etc. (the list is long). She had been hospitalized for allergy-induced asthma attacks before which caused her to be on prednisone at times.
At about 16, she started to get plantar warts on her feet and they spread like wildfire because of the prednisone; even when not on it, they spread. By the time she started allergy shots, she had had two minors surgeries on one foot for the warts, but they had also spread to the palms of her hands and fingers. She started the shots three times a week. After several months, she noticed the warts on her hand were gone and then gradually, the 20+ that she had on her foot disappeared. The allergist said he didn’t know why this was happening since the warts were caused by a virus, not allergies.
When she went to college, she stopped the shots for several years due to having no time to get them. The warts return and she again had 20+ on just one one foot. She went back to the allergist and he said that she could be retested. Of course, she was still allergic to everything. She called her step-dad to tell him what the doctor told her and he urged her to restart the shots. She was nearly crippled by the warts, the shots would help her allergies and she really had nothing to lose, so she restarted the allergy shots. Three months later, the warts were gone. It’s a blessing and amazing to us, but according to the doctor, not possible. It has to have something to do with her immune system. What do you think about this?
DEAR READER: In my opinion you hit the nail right on the head with your guess that her immune system is to blame as allergies can definitely compromise the immune system. The more severe or extensive an allergy is, the more compromised our defenses become. The human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes warts will take advantage of this weakness and spread.
I believe that the shots helped your daughter’s wart problem simply by removing some of the burden on her immune system and allowing it to resume normal functioning, thus effectively fighting the wart virus.
I strongly recommend that you daughter continue to receive the allergy shots (also known as desensitization therapy) and undergo regular check-ups with her allergist. Over time, she should be able to reduce the frequency of the injections. In most instances, individuals ultimately receive one shot a month for the remainder of their lives; however, some find that they are able to discontinue the therapy after several years. This is because the body has learned to correctly identify and deal with the offending substances in a normal manner. (Allergies are an over-reaction to otherwise harmless substances such as pollen, insect venom, etc.) With your daughter having so many allergies, I doubt she will be able to safely discontinue them completely but the minor inconvenience of the shots (which can often be done at home) far outweighs the potential hazards of the allergies themselves.
Your daughter should also ask her specialist for a prescription for an Epi-pen, if she doesn’t already have one, just in case she experiences a severe reaction. With her history, her risk may be heightened by the fact that she had several allergy-induced asthma attacks as a child.
Readers who are interested in learning more can order my Health Report “Allergies” by sending a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and a $2 US check or money order to Dr. Peter Gott, PO Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title when writing or print an order form from my website, www.AskDrGottMD.com.
