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What is a food challenge?
Your doctor has suggested you/your child have a food challenge as part of the evaluation at Hoboken Allergy & Asthma Specialists. This is based on you/your child's history and allergy test results. A food challenge is done to help identify an allergy to a specific food and the amount of that food it may take to cause a reaction.
How do you get ready for the test?
Please follow these directions when getting ready for this test:
Your doctor may ask you to bring in a specific food for the food challenge. Please bring the food the morning of the test. If your child is having a food challenge, you may also be asked to bring a favorite food in which to place the food to be challenged. Antihistamines will affect the results of some of these tests and need to be stopped before the testing is done. If you have any concerns about stopping antihistamines check with your doctor before you stop the medicine. We may not be able to perform the test if this medicine is not stopped. Use the table below to determine which antihistamines to stop, and for how long, before your appointment at Hoboken Allergy & Asthma Specialists.
Stop these oral antihistamines for 5 days before your appointment:
Claritin® (Loratadine)
Clarinex® (desloratadine)
Allegra® (Fexofenadine)
Stop these oral antihistmanines for 3-4 days before your appointment:
Actifed® (Brompheniramine)
Dimetapp® (Brompheniramine)
Atarax® (Hydroxyzine)
Vistaril® (Hydroxyzine)
Benadryl® (Diphenhydramine)
Chlortrimeton®(Chlorpheniramine)
Phenergan® (Promethazine)
Tavist® (Clemastine)
Antihist® (Clemastine)
Zyrtec® (Cetirizine)
Actifed® (Combination medicine)
Aller-Chlor® (Combination medicine)
Bromfed® (Combination medicine)
Drixoral® (Combination medicine)
Dura-tab® (Combination medicine)
Novafed-A® (Combination medicine)
Ornade® (Combination medicine)
Poly-Histine-D® (Combination medicine)
Trinalin® (Combination medicine)
If you are taking an oral antihistamine that is not listed, stop the medicine for 3-4 days before your appointment. If you are not sure if the medicine you are taking is an antihistamine ask your doctor.
Stop these medicines the night before your appointment:
Singulair® (montelukast)
Accolate® (zafirlukast)
Stop these medicines the morning of your appointment:
Zyflo® (zileuton)
Tagamet® (cimetadine)
Zantac® (ranitidine)
Pepcid® (famotidine)
Axid® (nizatidine)
Sometimes antidepressants can also act as an antihistamine. Let your doctor know if you are on any antidepressants before your food challenge.
Continue to take all your other medicine as you usually do.
What is done during the test?
During a food challenge, you/your child will start by eating a small amount of the suspected food. You/your child will receive increasing amounts of the food every 30 to 60 minutes until a normal meal-sized portion is eaten or the challenge is stopped because of symptoms or a reaction. You/your child will be monitored closely during the food challenge by the nursing staff. Your doctor will be available to provide evaluation or treatment in case of any symptoms.
The food challenge may be an open, hidden or a double blind placebo food challenge. During an open food challenge you/your child will know the food being challenged. During a hidden food challenge the food may be hidden in a food you/your child likes.This is helpful for a child who may not want to eat the food being challenged. For example, if egg is the food being challenged, it may be hidden in chocolate pudding. During a Double Blind Placebo Controlled Food Challenge the food being challenged is hidden from the person being challenged and the health care provider giving the food. The health care provider preparing the food challenge is aware of the food being challenged. This may be done to prevent the possibility of symptoms caused by thinking about eating a particular food. Once the food challenge is done your doctor
will discuss the results with you and make recommendations.
How long will the test take?
A food challenge will take from 4-8 hours. If a child is having the food challenge a parent will need to be present for the duration of the food challenge. |
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Hoboken Allergy & Asthma Specialists, LLC: - Food Challenge
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