During your visit, allergy skin tests may be applied to help determine your suspected allergy (food allergy, insect allergy, or environmental allergies).  This type of test is quickly performed, is very well tolerated by even small children.   However, in order to be able to perform a skin test, you must stop your antihistamines a certain amount of time before your test date.  This includes:

Antihistamines to be stopped 7-14 days prior to your appointment:

• Cetirizine (Zyrtec, Zyrtec D)
  
• Desloratadine (Clarinex)
  
• Doxepin (Sinequan)
  
• Fexofenadine (Allegra, Allegra D)
  
• Loratadine (Claritin, Claritin D, Alavert)
  
• Levocetirizine (Xyzal)
  
• Meclizine (Antivert, Dramamine)
  

Antihistamines should be stopped 5-7 days prior to your appointment:

• Brompheniramine (Actifed, Atrohist, Dimetapp, Drixoral)
• Chlopheniramine (Chlortrimeton, Deconamine, Kronofed A, Novafed A, Rynatan)
• Clemastine (Tavist, Antihist)
• Cyproheptadine (Periactin)
• Dexchlorpheniramine (Polaramine)
• Diphenhydramine (Allernix, Benadryl, Nytol)
• Doxylamine (Bendectin, Nyquil)
• Hydroxyzine (Atarax, Marax, Vistaril)
• Promethazine (Phenergan)
  

Note: Antihistamines are found in many over the counter medications, including Tylenol Allergy, Actifed Cold and Allergy, Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold with Cough Formula, motion sickness medications, and many others.  In addition some supplements contain Quercetin which is an antihistamine.  Make sure you read check the ingredients carefully and stop those containing antihistamines a good 7 days prior to the appointment.

Nose sprays and eye drops to stop 5 days prior to your appointment:

• Azelastine (Astelin, Astepro, Dymista, Optivar)
• Bepotastine (Bepreve)
• Ketotifen (Zaditor, Alaway)
• Olapatadine (Pataday, Patanase)
• Pheniramine (Visine A, Naphcon A,..)
  

Medications to stop 3-5 days prior to appointment:

• Cimitidine (Tagamet)
• Famotidine (Pepcid)
• Nizatidine (Axid)
• Ranitidine (Zantac)
  

There is no need to stop steroid nasal sprays such as Flonase (fluticasone), Nasonex, Nasacort (triamcinolone), Rhinocort, and Veramyst as these medications will not affect the skin test.

DO NOT STOP YOUR ASTHMA MEDICATIONS!  This would include:

• Inhalers such as Advair, Asmanex, Azmacort, Dulera,  Flovent, Pulmicort, Symbicort, or QVAR
• Pills such as Singulair (Monteleukast), Zyflo,  Theophylline
• Steroids such as Medrol and Prednisone.

Remember - if in doubt, talk to your allergist to determine what you need to do with your medications before your appointment

Remember - if in doubt, talk to your allergist to determine what you need to do with your medications before your appointment

Still have questions? Please contact us anytime! We look forward to hearing from you.