prepare for your allergy and immunology visit
For all visits, please wear comfortable and loose clothing and bring:
- Your insurance information
- Your physician order (if you have a hard copy)
- Your drivers license
- Any required forms from your school
prepare for the following types of visits
allergy testing
The skin test is a very safe and accurate test that measures your child's level of antibodies in response to certain allergens or triggers. Using very small amounts of different allergens, your child's physician will either perform an injection, scratch or patch test. A reaction would appear as a small red area. A reaction to the skin test does not always mean your child is allergic to the allergen that caused the reaction. This will be determined by your child's physician.
VERY IMPORTANT- Please review the list below carefully as your child cannot be allergy skin tested while taking they are taking certain medications.
DO NOT STOP your child’s asthma medications. Asthma medications do not affect skin testing. Examples of these medications are Albuterol (Ventolin, Proair), Budesonide (Pulmicort), Montelukast (Singulair), Fluticasone (Flovent), Beclomethasone Diproprionate (Qvar), Dulera, Symbicort, Advair, Atrovent, Asmanex
These medications should be discontinued at least 5 days prior to allergy skin testing. In addition, most over-the-counter sleep aids and allergy/cold medicines should be avoided. Any medicine listing drowsiness or sedation as a side effect and may need to be stopped before testing. Call your child’s pharmacy or prescribing physician if you are unsure about the names of your child’s medications.
• Actifed • CTM dexbrompheniramine
• Alavert • Cyproheptadine
• Alka-Seltzer Plus • Dallergy
• Allegra • Deconamine
• Allerest • Dexbrompheniramine
• Astelin • Dimenhydrinate
• Astepro • Dimetane
• Atarax • Dimetapp
• Atrohist • Diphenhydramine
• Atrohlst Plus • Doxepln
• Axid • Dramamine
• Benadryl(generic name is diphenhydramine) • Dristan
• Benadryl cream • Drixoral
• Bromfed • Duratapp
• Brompheniramine • Duratapp
• Certirizine • Dymista
• Chlorpheniramine • Extendryl
• Chlor-Trimeton • Fexofenadine
• Clarinex • Hydroxyzine
• Claritin • Imipramine
• Comhist • Levocetirizine
• Contac • Loratadine
• Coricidin • Meclizine
Coricidin • Naldecon
• Nyquil • Sudafed Plus
• Paigic • Tagamet
• Patanase • Tanafed
• Pepcid • Tannate
• Periactin • Tavist
• Polaramme • Tnaminic
• Poly-Histine •Trinalin
• Promethazme • Tripelennamme
• Pyribenzamine • Triprolidine
• Robitussin CFO • Tylenol Allergy
• Rondec • Vistaril
Rondec • Xyzal
• R-Tannate • Zantac (generic is Ranitidine)
• Ru-Tuss • Zyrtec (generic name is certirizine)
• Rynatan • Zyrtec D
• Phenergan • Tavist DO
Eye drops
• Bepreve
• Elestat
• Optivar
• Pataday
• Pantanol
• Zaditor/ketotifen
• Pazeo
Your child may take the following medications for nasal congestion:
- Any over-the-counter decongestant or saline spray or Nasalcrom
- Any steroid allergy spray - Flonase, Fluticasone, Nasacort, Nasarel, Omnaris, Rhinocort, Qnasl, Zetonna
- Any oral decongestant - Entex, PSE, Guaifed, Humibid, Sudafed (No- SudafedPlus)
If you have any questions regarding discontinuing any of these medications, please contact the clinic nurse at: 937-641-5130, option 3.
immunotherapy (allergy shots)
Allergy shots are an alternative to medications in the treatment of hay fever. A great time commitment is necessary, but allergy shots can provide great relief for those children suffering from moderate to severe hay fever. For more information, read this article.
food challenge
Sometimes, even after performing skin prick and blood tests, an allergist is unable to arrive at a definitive diagnosis. In this case, you may be asked to undergo an oral food challenge (OFC), a highly accurate diagnostic test for food allergy. This type of testing can result in more severe reactions and should only be performed by an experienced allergist at a medical facility where the appropriate medications and equipment are available.
For more information about our food challenge and how to prepare for an upcoming food challenge click here.
