Medications Overview

Medications That do not affect testing

Continue taking all Asthma medications including:

•    Accolate (Zafirlukast)
•    Advair Diskus or HFA (Fluticasone/Salmeterol)
•    Aerospan (Flunisolide)
•    Albuterol Inhaler or Nebulizer solution
•    Alvesco (Ciclesonide)
•    Anoro (Umeclidinium)
•    Arcapta (Indacaterol)
•    Asmanex  (Mometasone)
•    Atrovent (Ipratropium)
•    Azmacort (Triamcinolone)
•    Breo (Fluticasone/Vilanterol)
•    Budesonide Nebulizer solution
•    Combivent Respimat Inhaler (Ipratropium)
•    Dulera  (Mometasone/Formoterol)
•    Duoneb (Budesonide/Albuterol)
•    Flovent Diskus or HFA (Fluticasone)
•    Foradil (Formoterol)
•    ProAir, Proventil (Albuterol)
•    Pulmicort  (Budesonide)
•    QVAR (Beclomethasone)
•    Serevent (Salmeterol)
•    Singulair (Montelukast)
•    Spiriva (Tiotropium)
•    Stiolto (Tiotropium)
•    Symbicort  (Budesonide/Formoterol)
•    Tudorza (Aclidinium)
•    Ventolin (Albuterol)
•    Xopenex HFA or Nebulizer solution (Levalbuterol)
•    Zyflo (Zileuton)

Nasal Sprays that do not need to be stopped for testing:

•    Afrin (Oxymetazoline)
•    Atrovent (Ipratropium)
•    Flonase (Fluticasone)
•    Fluticasone
•    Nasacort (Triamcinolone)
•    Nasarel, Nasalide (Flunisolide)
•    Nasonex (Mometasone Furoate)
•    Oxymetazoline
•    Omnaris (Ciclesonide)
•    Q-Nasl (Beclomethasone Nasal)
•    Rhinocort (Budesonide) 
•    Triamcinolone
•    Veramyst (Fluticasone Furoate)
•    Zetonna (Ciclesonide)

Oral medications that do not need to be stopped for testing:

 •    Accolate
•    Dextromethorphan
•    Guaifenesin
•    Medrol
•    Montelukast
•    Mucinex
•    Phenylephrine (Sudafed PE)
•    Prednisone
•    Pseudoephedrine
•    Singulair
•    Sudafed
•    Zafirlukast
•    Zyflo

Medications to stop for testing

Preparing for Your Allergy Test

To ensure accurate skin testing results, please stop antihistamines 5 days before your appointment. Antihistamines can interfere with your test results. If you cannot stop antihistamines, you can still keep your appointment, but it will be for a consultation only (no skin testing).

Check Medication Labels for Antihistamines
Many generic/store-brand allergy medications may have different names. Be sure to check the ingredient list.
Example: Alavert = Loratadine

Common Medications That May Contain Antihistamines:

  • Cold & Sinus medications (e.g., DayQuil, NyQuil, Contac, Dimetapp, Triaminic)

  • PM & Sleep aids (e.g., Unisom, NyQuil, Doxylamine)

  • Anti-nausea medications (e.g., Dramamine, Phenergan, Promethazine)

  • Eye drops & Nasal sprays (e.g., Pataday, Astepro, Zaditor, Optivar)

  • High-dose Vitamin C (over 500mg/day, found in Airborne, Emergen-C)

Antihistamines That MUST Be Stopped Before Appointment:

  • Actifed (Triprolidine)

  • Allegra (Fexofenadine)

  • Allerclear

  • Allerfex

  • Allertec

  • Astepro / Astelin (Azelastine)

  • Atarax (Hydroxyzine)

  • Benadryl (Diphenhydramine)

  • Bepreve

  • Brompheniramine

  • Carbinoxamine 

  • Chlor-trimeton (Chlorpheniramine)

  • Claritin/Claritin-D (Loratadine)

  • Clarinex (Desloratadine)

  • Clemastine

  • Cyproheptadine  

  • Dexbrompheniramine

  • Dimenhydrinate

  • Doxepin (antidepressant with antihistamine properties)

  • Drixoral

  • Dymista

  • Elestat

  • Lastacaft (Alcaftadine)

  • Mirtazapine (Remeron)

  • Pataday / Patanol / Patanase (Olopatadine)

  • Periactin (Cyproheptadine)

  • Phenergan (Promethazine)

  • Pheniramine  

  • Promethazine (Promethegan)

  • Quercetin 

  • Tavist

  • Vistaril

  • Xyzal (Levocetirizine)

  • Zaditor / Alaway (Ketotifen)

  • Zymine

  • Zyrtec/Zyrtec-D (Cetirizine)