SERVICES
Allergy Testing and Antihistamines · Allergy Shot Hours · Allergic Reactions · Comprehensive Asthma Care
Allergy Testing and Antihistamines
Many patients will need allergy skin tests and we ask patients to discontinue their allergy medications before allergy skin tests. If our patients have significant allergy symptoms and cannot do without allergy medications we can evaluate them while still on allergy medications and then decide if, how, and when they need to be allergy skin tested.
The following list of medications will interfere with skin testing. If possible, please stop taking:
48 hours before the appointment:
Over the counter prescription cough, cold, allergy, sinus, or other medications with
antihistamines in them. Claritin OTC will need to be stopped 7 days before the
appointment.
2 days before the appointment:
Allegra, Allegra-D, Astelin nasal spray.
4 days before the appointment:
Zyrtec.
7 days before the appointment:
Claritin, Claritin-D, Tavist, Clemastine, Atarax, or Hydroxyzine, Alavert, Loratadine.
14 days before the appointment:
Elavil, Pamelor, Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline, or Doxepin.
Patients may continue to take the following types of medications:
- Asthma and/or lung inhalers
- Heart and/or high blood pressure
- Arthritis
- Anxiety and/or depression
- Cholesterol lowering
- Thyroid supplements
- Hormones
- Diabetic medications
- Antibiotics
- Nasal sprays (Except for Astelin)
Allergy Shot Hours
Monday
No Shots
Tuesday
9:00 am – 12:45 pm lunch 2:00 pm – 5:45 pm
Wednesday
9:00 am – 12:45 pm lunch 2:00 pm – 5:45 pm
Thursday
No Shots
Friday
9:00 am – 12:45 pm lunch 2:00 pm – 4:45 pm
Saturday
9:00 am – 11:15 am
- You do not need an appointment for allergy shots.
- If you are on a weekly schedule you can get your injections every 3 to 10 days.
- If you are on a maintenance schedule you can get your injections every 7 to 21 days.
Allergic Reactions
Because patients are getting the same allergens to which they are allergic to patients may develop allergic reaction, which could include; itching of the skin, hives, swelling of eyes, red watery eyes, stuffy/runny nose, wheezing, difficulty breathing, coughing, dizziness, low blood pressure. These kind of reactions need to be evaluated by a physician and patients must wait 20 minutes after each injection in the office.
Local reactions may occur at the site of the injection(s). Local reactions include swelling, redness, and/or itching. If the swelling is larger than 25 cents and lasts more than 6 to 12 hours let us know. Allergy medications and applications of cold compresses will help.
If you have asthma and are experiencing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of breath or have a high fever you should not receive an allergy shot(s).
We should not increase your allergy shot(s) during pregnancy.
You should not receive allergy shot(s) if you are on beta-blockers. (Beta-blockers are used for high blood pressure, irregular heart rate, tremors and/or migraine)
Comprehensive Asthma Care
Taking care of asthmatics is an important part of our practice. Most patients below the ages of 30 to 40 years of age have allergy induced asthma, while a significant proportion of asthma starting after 40 years of age is induced by allergies and with adequate management of factors causing asthma flare-ups, one can look forward to a full productive life.