Medications To Stop Gefore Allergy Skin Test Appointment

Antihistamines including prescription and over the counter ones will negatively affect the outcome of skin tests. These medications have to be stopped as outlined below before you show up for a skin test appointment. As the skin tests are usually done on the same day as your first visit to our office, it is important that you consider the information below before scheduling an appointment. Remember many over the counter cold and cough medications, sleep aids, acid reducers/ heartburn medications and eye drops contain antihistamines and have to be stopped as well before skin test appointment. If you are not sure about the nature of your medications, please check with your pharmacist. Get permission from your doctor before stopping your or your child’s medications. If the antihistamine drugs are not stopped required number of days before the appointment, you will not be able to complete the skin test on the day of appointment and the test may have to be postponed or other options may be considered.

Stop these oral antihistamines for 7-10 days before your appointment:

• Alavert® (Loratadine)
• All Antihistamine Allergy Relief Eye Drops (Patanol, Pataday, Optivar, Azelastine, Zaditor, etc. Call us if you are not sure). DO NOT STOP GLAUCOMA DROPS.
• Allegra® (Fexofenadine)
• Astelin or Astepro ® nasal spray (Azelastine nasal spray)
• Astelin® (Azelastine)
• Clarinex® (Desloratadine)
• Claritin® (Loratadine)
• Dymista® nasal spray
• Loratadine (Claritin, Alavert)
• Xyzal® (levocetirizine)
• Zyrtec® (Cetirizine)

Stop these oral antihistamines for four days before your appointment:

• Actifed
• Antihist
• Atarax®, Vistaril® (Hydroxyzine)
• Azatadine (Optimine, Trinalin)
• Benadryl (Diphenhydramine)
• Bromfed
• Brompheniramine
• Cabinoxamine (Rondec)
• Chlopheniramine (Chlortrimeton)
• Clemastine (Tavist)
• Cyproheptadine (Periactin)
• Deconamine
• Desloratidine (Clarinex)
• Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine)
• Dimetapp
• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• Diphenylpyraline (Hispril)
• Doxylamine (Bendectin, Nyquil)
• Drixoral
• Dura-tab
• Hydroxyzine (Atrax, Vistaril, Marax)
• Kronofed
• Meclizine (Antivert)
• Methdilazine HCI (Tacaryl)
• Naldecone
• Novafed-A
• Ornade
• Phenergan (Promethazine)
• Phenindamine (Nolamine, Nolahist)
• Pheniramine (Polyhistine D)
• Poly-Histine-D
• Promethazine HCI (Phenegan)
• Pyrilamine (Kronohist, Rynatan)
• Rynatan
• Tavist
• Trimeprazine (Temaril)
• Trinalin
• Triprolidine (Actifed)

If you are taking an oral antihistamine that is not listed above stop the medicine for 3-4 days before your appointment. If you are not sure if the medicine you are taking is an antihistamine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Stop these medications 1-2 days before your appointment:

• Axid® (nizatidine)
• Pepcid® (famotidine)
• Tagamet® (cimetidine)
• Zantac® (ranitidine)

Some antidepressants can also act as antihistamines. Let us know if you are on any antidepressants before skin testing. Do not stop antidepressants for any reason without checking with your doctor first.

The following medications should not be stopped:

Do not stop any of your asthma medications or inhalers.

• Cromolyn (Intal) and Nedocromil (Tilade),
• Inhaled (Beconase, Vancenese, Nasalide, Fluticasone, Nasacort, Beclovent, Vanceril, Aerobid, Azmacort, Pulmicort, Flovent, Qvar, Symbicort, Dulera, Advair)
• Oral Corticosteriods (Prednisone, Medrol)
• Pseudoephedrine
• Theophylline

Continue to take all your other medications as you normally do. Do not stop any medication without checking with your doctor first. Usually, we do control skin tests first before doing full panel skin tests to ensure that your body does not have any interfering medications at the time of testing. If you are not sure about the need for stopping a drug, please call our office or the prescribing physician’s office before you stop them.

If you have questions, please call our office for clarification at 928-681-5800