Allergy testing - 1 week with no antihistamines prior?

[alisoncooks]

So my youngest (who's recently been plagued with eczema flares and itchy hives) has an appointment with an allergist in October. We were told to stop any antihistamines one week before the appointment, which I'm nervous about!  

If you've had to do this, were you just especially careful to avoid known allergens?  We know she's allergic to the cat (outdoor stray that we feed) -- I'm thinking I need to ban contact for that week? 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

For some of the stronger acting antihistamines, you actually need two weeks off to have accurate testing. It's one week for Benadryl, two for zyrtec, etc.

We did the best we could to avoid allergens, but it's not uncommon to be a total train wreck by the time of your appointment. I thought I was going to claw my skin off before my testing. I can't even imagine wanting to be around a cat I was allergic to without antihistamines.

[MysteryJen]

The recommendation for us was 10 days no antihistamines before the appointment.

[kbutton]

I think it's avoidance or misery.

I can't currently go long enough without antihistamines for skin testing and have to have bloodwork (Immunocap). But mine are food-related problems ATM and not showing up on any kind of testing.

 

[Clemsondana]

I was allergic to all sorts of stuff that's hard to avoid.  I tried to rinse off a lot - rinse my face when I got home, rinse off before bed, etc - to physically remove as much allergen as possible.  

[sbgrace]

It's longer with our allergist too. This won't help you at this point, but I try to have my son tested in the winter. That means the outdoor allergens are lower for him.

I'd definitely avoid the cat. If she does pet it, wash hands before she touches her clothes/face. If she can tolerate it, you could do a nasal rinse. (Nasal spray mentioned above would be great if allowed...we've never been given that option). I'd do shower and fresh clothes before bed.