Important information regarding your first allergy clinic visit
Prior to your first appointment, please complete the new patient information form and bring it with you. You will receive the form and a letter in the mail before your appointment.
The form will provide valuable background information about your health and current symptoms. It is important that you review the list of medications that should be stopped prior to your allergy clinic visit.
If the doctor you see at the allergy clinic recommends allergy skin testing, it can only be performed if you have stopped all anti-histamine medications for the specified amount of time prior to your appointment. Please call clinic at 919-620-7300 if you have any questions about which medications to stop (a list of medications to stop is below).
We recommend that you also contact your insurance company to ask if allergy skin testing is a covered service; the CPT code for the allergy skin test procedure is 95004. Allergy skin testing is provided as a service of
Duke Hospital. You and your insurance company will receive charges from both the Private Diagnostic Clinic and Duke Hospital. Be sure to review with your health insurance representative the deductibles for both professional and hospital services.
On the day of your appointment, please check in 15 minutes early to begin the registration process. Please also bring the completed new patient information form along with your insurance card and medication list to the appointment. We look forward to seeing you at the Duke Asthma, Allergy and
Airway Center.
MEDICATIONS THAT NEED TO BE STOPPED FOR ALLERGY TESTING
THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF MEDICATIONS THAT YOU SHOULD STOP TAKING PRIOR TO ALLERGY TESTING. THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE LENGTH OF TIME TO AVOID THESE MEDICATIONS.
STOP THE FOLLOWING MEDICATIONS
ONE
WEEK PRIOR TO TESTING:
CLARITIN, CLARITIN-D, CLARINEX
LORATADINE (GENERIC FOR CLARITIN)
ZYRTEC (CETIRIZINE), ZYRTEC-D, XYZAL (LEVOCETIRIZINE)
ALLEGRA
AND
ALLEGRA-D
FEXOFENADINE (GENERIC TO ALLEGRA)
ATARAX OR HYDROXYZINE
CYPROHEPTADINE OR PERIACTIN
TAVIST (CLEMASTINE)
ASTELIN NASAL SPRAY
OPTIVAR
STOP THE FOLLOWING MEDICATIONS AT LEAST 3 DAYS PRIOR TO TESTING:
ZANTAC or RANITIDINE
PEPCID OR FAMOTIDINE
AXID OR NIZATIDINE
TAGAMET OR CIMETIDINE
BENADRYL OR DIPHENHYDRAMINE
CHLORPHENIRAMINE OR CHLOR-TRIMETON
DIMETAPP
PHENERGAN
TYLENOL PM
UNISOM
ALL OTHER ANTI-HISTAMINES
AND
DECONGESTANTS
STOP THE FOLLOWING MEDICATIONS AT MIDNIGHT THE DAY PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT:
ACCOLATE (ZAFIRLUKAST)
REGLAN (METOCLOPRAMIDE)
SINGULAIR (MONTELUKAST)
ZYFLO (ZILEUTIN)
There are other drugs that need to be stopped for allergy testing but require your prescribing physician’s approval before stopping. Your medication list will be reviewed by your allergist at your first appointment and you will be notified if you are taking any of these medications. Arrangements can then be made with the prescriber to see if you can stop the medication for allergy testing. Also, you do not need to stop antihistamines if you have chronic hives. Please call clinic at 919-620-7300 if you have any questions about which medications to stop prior to your visit.
THE FOLLOWING MEDICATIONS
ARE
OKAY TO USE PRIOR TO TESTING:
ALL
INHALERS FOR ASTHMA, NASAL STEROID SPRAYS AND PREDNISONE.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT WHICH MEDICATIONS TO STOP, PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE AT
DHTS Web Services
DUKE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
DUKEHEALTH.ORG