Fact Sheets are quick and easy, print them out and try them at your leisure.

Enzyme Potentiated Desensitisation (EPD) for Allergies

It may have been around since 1966, but Enzyme Potentiated Desensitisation (EPD) remains a closely guarded secret outside certain allergy circles. Similar in principle to homeopathy, it works with the idea of treating like with like. Minute doses of allergens are given together with an enzyme called beta glucuronidase, which works in the body to increase and modify the effects of the allergen.

Beta Glucuronidase is present in all parts of the human body, where it is released into the tissues during inflammation or an allergic response in greater amounts than that given with EPD. With this technique, the dosage is less than that contained in 1cc of blood from a healthy person making it entirely safe.

There are two ways for EPD to be administered. With the cup method, a small area of the forearm is scarified to remove the waterproof layer of the skin and the desensitising fluid is then held over this area, with a plastic cup, for 24 hours. The slow absorption of this dose makes this method extremely safe. Also, the immune system is much more responsive to doses through the skin than those given via an injection. That said, the second EPD method is by injection. This is more reliable, but may not be quite as safe.

Desensitising mixtures are now available for a wide range of allergens - including pollens, dust, pets, moulds, candida, fumes, fragrances, foods, and food additives. With EPD, many common allergens cross-desensitise in groups. This is good news for sufferers, because many are allergic to more than just the allergens they have identified.

Over the last 30 years, EPD has successfully treated asthma, rhinitis, nasal polyps, eczema, urticaria, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, rheumatoid arthritis, petit mal, epilepsy, chemical sensitivity, food allergies and intolerance, and the secondary allergies that complicate post-viral syndromes - including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ME.

There is still no desensitising agent to treat allergies to insect bites or stings, contact dermatitis, or drug-related allergies - and it has proved difficult to inoculate against many chemicals used in food processing. However, common allergies such as hayfever can be treated with just one dose given about four months before the onset of symptoms. Housedust mite allergy, the most common cause of eczema in adults, can be treated with just two doses given within an interval of 2-3 months.

* If you are already taking medication, do not stop without strict medical supervision. If you have an underlying health problem and wish to incorporate some of the recommended measures into your lifestyle, please consult with your doctor. If he or she doesn’t approve of complementary medicine and an integrated approach, find one who does.