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)