Why no caffeine before allergy test

Antihistamines will affect the results of skin prick tests and need to be stopped before the testing is completed in order to get accurate results.

• Please stop oral antihistamines for 5 days before your appointment: ​

  Table of Contents Show

  • Very Important! Please Read!
  • Other classes of medications that may interfere with skin testing:
  • It is okay to continue:
  • Specific Medications
  • Does caffeine interfere with allergy testing?
  • Is it OK to drink coffee before an allergy test?
  • What can mess up an allergy test?
  • Can I drink tea before allergy testing?

  • Zyrtec® (cetirizine), Xyzal (levocetirizine), Claritin® (Loratadine), Allegra® (fexofenadine) Clarinex® (desloratadine)

  • Atarax®, Vistaril® (hydroxyzine)

  • ChlorTrimeton® (chlorpheniramine)

  • Dimetapp® (brompheniramine)

  • Phenergan® (promethazine)

  • Tavist®, Antihist®, Dayhist® (clemastine)

  • Combination medicines: Actifed®, Aller-Chlor®, Bromfed®, Drixoral®, Dura-tab®, Novafed-A®, Ornade®, Poly-Histine-D®, Trinalin®

  • Benadryl® (diphenhydramine)

  • Sleep aides (examples: Unisom, Tylenol® PM, Advil® PM and Nyquil™)

• If you are taking an oral antihistamine that is not listed stop the medicine 5 days before your appointment. If you are not sure if the medicine you are taking is an antihistamine, ask your doctor. Some over-the-counter cold and flu medications contain an antihistamine, so be sure to read labels carefully.

• Local antihistamines (Examples: azelastine (nose or eye), olopatadine (eye)) should be stopped 2 days prior to your appointment. 

• ​The following reflux medications should be stopped 2 days prior to your appointment.  If you are on a different reflux medication, it does not need to be stopped.

  • Axid® (nizatidine)

  • Pepcid® (famotidine)

  • Tagamet® (cimetadine)

  • Zantac® (ranitidine)

• ​Some psychiatric medications, including tricyclic antidepressants (eg. amitriptyline doxepin, nortriptyline), can also affect the results of your skin testing. Let your doctor know if you are on any antidepressants or sleep aides before your test, but do not stop them without consulting the prescribing doctor.

• It is OK to continue to take all your other medicine as you usually do. Inhaled steroids used for asthma,  nasal steroids (eg Nasacort, Flonase, Nasonex) as well as Singulair (montelukast) will not interfere with the results of your skin testing and may be continued.  

• High dose oral steroids may effect skin test results, but do not stop any oral steroid medications unless advised by your physician 

• ​Do not apply lotions or creams to your back the day of your appointment.