Allergy Skin Testing Instructions

The appointment will last approximately 30 minutes.
IMPORTANT: The child is to have NO ANTIHISTAMINES 72 hours prior to testing,
Antihistamine examples: Dimetapp, Benadryl, Zyrtec, Claritin, Xyzal. (Please see below for more examples.*)
Generally nasal sprays such as Flonase and medications such as oral Singular are okay as long as no antihistamines are in it.
At the Allergy Clinic, we test for environmental allergies and food allergies.
Please dress patient in loose fitting clothing, short sleeve shirts, or tank tops if possible. The test is usually done on the arms.
The test does not require needles or injections.
Patients may be itchy up to 24 hours after the test but usually will have no itching after 2-3 hours.
We will apply topical Benadryl cream after the testing is complete, and they are allowed to have oral antihistamines afterwards for relief for itching.
Patients may return to school the same day.

*PLEASE STOP ANTIHISTAMINES 3 DAYS PRIOR TO ALLERGY SKIN TESTING

* Do not stop asthma medications or any other medications that do not contain antihistamine!
* If you have major hives or swelling, do not stop your antihistamines.
* Do not use oll, cream or lotion on the back or arms for 24 hours prior to skin testing.
* Over-the-counter Cough/Cold/Allergy/Sinus medications may have antihistamine in them!!
* Stop over-the-counter sleeping aids containing antihistamines. (Prescription medications for sleep that do not contain antihistamines may be continued.)
* Stop Trazodone, Amitriptyline (Elavil), Doxepin; Desipramine and Imipramine, which are also prescribed for pain, sleep, or depression.
* Stop antihistamine allergy eye drops (Patanol, Pataday, Olopatadino, Elestat, Opttvar, Bépreve) and other over-the-counter allergy eye drops such as Zaditor, Ketotifen; Naphcon A; Opcon A, Visine AC and all generic allergy eye drops.

COMMON MEDICATIONS CONTAINING ANTIHISTAMINES

Actifed (chlorpheniraminė)
Advil Allergy
Advil PM
Alavert/Claritin (loratadine)
Alka Seltzer P.M.
Allegra (fexofenadine)
Amitriptyline (Elavily)
Antivert (meclizine)
Astelin Nasal Spray (azelastine)
Atarax (hydroxyzine)
Azelastine nose spray (Astepro: Astelin)
Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
Cetirizine (Zyrtec)
Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine)
Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton)
Cimetidine (Tagamet)
Clarinex (desloratadine)
Claritin (loratadine)
Contác
Desipramine (Noipremine)
Desloratadine (Clarinex)
Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine)
Dimetapp (brompheniramine)
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
Doxepin (Sineguan, Adapin)
Dramamine (dimenhydrinaté)
Drixoral
Elavil (amitriptyline)
Excedrin PM
Famotidine (Pepcid)
Fexofenadine (Allegra)
Hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril)
Imipramine (Tofranil)
Levocetirizine (Xyzal)

Loratadine (Claritin)
Meclizina (Antivert, Bánine)
Norpramin (desipramine)
Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
Nyquil Astepro Nasal Spray (azelastine)
Olopatadine (Patanase nasal spray}
Pamelor (nortriptyline)
Patanaşe Nasal Spray (Olopatadine)
Pediačare Bonine (meclizine).
Pepcid (famotidine)
Periactin (cyproheptadine)
Prienergan (promethazine)
Promethazine (Phenergan)
Protriptylina (Vivactil)
Ranitidine (Zantac)
Robitussin Allergy Clemastine (Tavist)
Rondec Comtrex
Sinequan (doxepin)
Sominex Cyproheptadine (Perlactin)
Sudafed Cold/Plus (Plain Sudafed is okay)
Surmontil(trimipramiño)
Tagamet (Cimetidine)
Tavist (clemastine)
Theraflu (Dimetane)
Tofranil (imipramine)
Trazodone
Tussionex (chlorpheniramine).
Tylenol PM and over the counter sleeping aids
Unisom Duravent LA
Vlatanl (hydroxyzine)
Xyzal (levocetirizina)
Zantac (ranitidine)
Zyrtec (cetirizine)

MEDICATIONS THAT ARE OKAY:

* Asthma inhalers. (Flovent, Advair, Symbicort, Asmanex, Dulera, Qvar, Alvesco) and Singulair
* Plain Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) and phenylephrine when not added in with an antihistamine
* Afrin (oxymetazoline) and NeoSynephrine (Phenylephrine), decongestant nose sprays .
* All steroid nose sprays (Fluticasone, Flonase, Nasonex, Nasacort AQ, Veramyst, Omnaris).