Arallergy.com

ARKANSAS ALLERGY & ASTHMA CLINIC, P.A.
A Tradition of Quality Patient Care Since 1930 Paul Martin Fiser, M.D. · Eddie W. Shields, M.D. · Lori M. Kagy, M.D. · D. Melissa Graham, M.D. · Nancy W. Zuerlein, M.D. · Kelly D. Burks, M.D. P.O. Box 55090 · Little Rock, AR 72215 · Telephone: 501-227-5210 · Fax: 501-312-1592 · Toll Free: 1-800-256-5844 Preparing for an Allergy Evaluation
Welcome to the Arkansas Allergy and Asthma Clinic. We will do anything we possibly can to make you comfortable by helping you control or eliminate your allergy related problems. To facilitate your evaluation and care, please carefully review and follow the information below. 1. Please omit only antihistamines, if possible, for five-seven days prior to your allergy skin testing appointment as they suppress skin test reactions. This includes allergy eye drops, Benadryl, Atarax, Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec, and some non-prescription medications taken at bedtime to help with sleep. 2. Also, some antidepressants, such as Elavil, Sinequan, Doxepin, Amitriptyline, or Tofranil, may have antihistamine effects. Please check with your physician who prescribed these antidepressant medications prior to stopping them for allergy skin testing. 3. Astelin, Astepro and Patanase nasal sprays should also be discontinued since it is an antihistamine, but all other 4. Continue taking your other medications, especially asthma medications. If needed, decongestants (Sudafed) may be continued as they do not suppress the skin test reaction. 5. When you make your appointment for the initial allergy consultation, the appointment clerk will either mail you a questionnaire to fill out or direct you to our website. Return the questionnaire by mail if there is sufficient time; if not, please bring it with you to your appointment and plan to arrive 15 minutes early. Please try to answer as many questions as you can. This helps the doctor effectively evaluate your allergy problem. The doctor will review many of these questions with you. 6. At your visit, the doctor will interview you and review your history. Following the history session, you will be examined and, if necessary, allergy tests will be done. Testing is usually done by the prick and/or intradermal method. In some cases, other laboratory tests may be needed – blood tests for allergies, x-rays, breathing tests, etc. (Men with hair on their back should shave it off before coming in for skin tests.) In a sense, the allergist is a medical detective whose goal is to identify the causes of your symptoms and treat these if possible. Usually, your first visit takes one and one-half to two hours at the clinic. We will try to complete your allergy evaluation in one day if possible. 7. If the patient is a minor, the adult/guardian accompanying the minor should be the person most familiar with his or her symptoms and history. It is best not to bring other children to the clinic on the day of the allergy evaluation. The full attention of a parent is needed to keep a small child occupied during the testing session. If two children are to be evaluated on the same day, an adult should accompany each child. 8. Since allergy evaluations must be done by appointment, a portion of your doctor’s time has been set aside especially for you. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please notify our appointment clerk as soon as possible so that the time may be given to another patient. We ask that you please give 24 hours notice if it is impossible for you to keep your appointment. PLEASE ARRIVE FIFTEEN MINUTES PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT TIME SO THE NECESSARY INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED AND PROCESSED.

Source: http://www.arallergy.com/cgi-perl/AllergyEvaluationInstructions.pdf