We strive every day to provide you with a pleasant and positive experience from the moment you make an appointment to the time you spend in our office.  However, sometimes people have a more serious condition than they thought or we expected, or on occasion, someone has a reaction to an allergy injection. Please be patient with us in these situations.  Your medical assistant or receptionist will communicate with you in cases like this; you will never be sitting in a room wondering what is going on or if you have been forgotten.

New patients will have a medical history interview over the phone prior to coming in.  Once in the office, you will be taken to your consultation, which will be held with the doctor in his office.  The doctor will ask follow-up and more extensive questions to build on the information that the medical assistant reviewed with you over the phone.  From this consultation, the doctor will decide what allergy testing, if any, is needed to put the pieces of the puzzle together for your situation and he’ll start developing a long-term care plan tailored just for you.  The doctor will order your tests and the medical assistant will come in and perform the tests.  Once complete, the doctor will come back in, review the results with you and discuss your care plan.

Please contact us as soon as you know you might not be able to make your appointment.  There is always someone who would probably want your spot if we know you won’t be coming.

Getting Ready for Appointment

All medications listed below will interfere with allergy testing and should not be used for 7 days prior to your allergy appointment. If your medical condition and/or allergic symptoms will significantly worsen without these medications, please contact us before discontinuing. If you forget to discontinue these medications in time for your appointment, please also contact us so we can determine whether or not your allergy appointment needs to be rescheduled.

Medications to Discontinue 7 Days Before Your Visit:

• • • Loratadine (Claritin, Alavert)
    • Desloratadine (Clarinex)
    • Cetirizine (Zyrtec)
    • Levocetirizine (Xyzal)
    • Fexofenadine (Allegra)
    • Hydoxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril)
    • Cyproheptadine (Periactin)
    • Doxepin (Sinequan, Adapin)
    • Chlorpheniramine (both prescription & OTC brands, including: Ahchew, Chlor-Trimeton, DAllergy, Deconamine, Durahist, Extendryl, Histavent, Omnihist, Rescon, Rynatan, Triaminic Cold & Allergy, Triaminic Multi-Symptom)
    • Diphenhydramine (several OTC brands, including: Benadryl, Tylenol PM, Tylenol Cold & Sinus, Triaminic Night Time Cold & Cough, Advil Cold & Sinus, Sominex, Nytol)
    • Brompheniramine (Dimetapp, Bromfed)
    • Tripelennamine (Actified, PBZ)
    • Certain motion sickness/nausea medication (including: Dramamine, Compazine, Meclizine [Antivert], Phenergan [promethazine])
    • Antihistamine nasal sprays (Astelin, Astepro, Patanase, Dymista. NOTE: all other nasal sprays are allowed, see below)
    • Antihistamine eye drops (Alomide, Livostin, Optivar, Pataday, Patanol)

  There is NO NEED to discontinue the following medications

  • • Asthma medications (including Advair, Flovent, Pulmicort, Qvar, Asmanex, Singulair, Zyflo)
    • Topical, cortisone nasal sprays (including Flonase, Nasonex, Nasacort, Rhinocort, Veramyst)
    • Medications for other chronic conditions, including: high blood pressure, acid reflux and any other chronic conditions

  DO NOT stop taking the medications you have for other conditions such as asthma, blood pressure, diabetes etc… ONLY antihistamine-containing medications need to be discontinued.

  If you are uncertain about your medications please either call our office or your pharmacist and ask.

  If you have chronic hives and break out when not taking an antihistamine, do not stop your medications prior to coming in.  

  Bring all medications with you to your appointment.  This INCLUDES asthma inhalers and asthma devices such as peak flow meters and chamber devices.  This is a very important component to our education process.

  Please arrive a MINIMUM of 20 minutes prior to your appointment.  Our goal is to have you ready for the doctor at your appointment time and there is at least 20 minutes of combined paperwork and triage to get done prior to you meeting with him.

  New patients should expect to be at the office for 90 minutes or more as we need time for the consultation and treatment. If you feel that your case is particularly complicated, please allow more time as you might have multiple diagnoses.