At your first appointment, Dr. Sweet will take a history of your symptoms, perform a physical examination and may suggest allergy skin testing.  Skin tests can confirm whether your symptoms are caused by allergies and help determine the best course of treatment.

First visit questionnaire
Prior to your first appointment, please print and complete this questionnaire. (Click here.) 

Allergy skin testing
During allergy skin testing, small drops of purified protein extract are placed on the skin with a gentle poke. If you are allergic to the substance, the skin around the test site will become a bit raised and red. Each skin test reaction is measured and the results compared with your symptoms.

How long does testing take?
Test results are available within 15 to 20 minutes. Your entire clinic visit may last one and one-half to two hours.

Some medications interfere with skin tests.
Some medications will interfere with your skin test and should be stopped before your first visit. Read the information below to decide if your medications will interfere with your skin tests. If you have concerns about stopping a medication, please check with your physician.  If you have questions about any medicine you are taking, contact your pharmacist, the prescribing physician or one of our staff.

If you are unable to stop using antihistamines, please keep your appointment and let us know that you are taking an antihistamine

Stop these antihistamines five days before your appointment:
• Allegra (fexofenadine)
• Atarax, Vistaril (hydroxyzine)
• Zyrtec (cetirizine)
• Xyzal (levocetirizine)

Stop these antihistamines three days before your appointment:
• Actifed, Dimetapp (brompheniramine)
• Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
• Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine)
• Claritin (loratadine)
• Clarinex (desloratadine)
• Astelin (azelastine)
• Periactin (cyproheptadine HCL)
• Phenergan (promethazine)
• Tavist, Antihist (clemastine)
• Triaminic (chlorpheniramine)

Stop these combination cough/cold medications three days before your appointment:
• Contac
• Dimetane
• Dimetapp
• Diphen Cough
• Diphenhist
• Dristan
• Drixoral
• NyQuil
• Robitussin Pediatric Night Relief
• Sine-Aid
• Sinutab
• Tanafed DMX
• Vicks Children’s NyQuil
• Vick Multi-Symptom/Pediatric Cough & Cold

Stop these anti-nausea/anti-vertigo medications three days before your appointment:
• Antivert, Bonine, DizmisssR (meclizine)
• Compazine (prochlorperazine)
• Dymenate (dimenhyrdinate)
• Emete-Con (benzquinamide)
• Marcezine (cyclizine)
• Marmine, Dramamine (dimenhydrinate)
• Tigan (trimethobenzamide)

Stop these non-prescription sleep aides three days before your appointment:
• Advil PM
• Nytol
• Sominex
• Sleep-Eze
• Tylenol PM
• Twilite
• Unisom

Stop these tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants two weeks before your appointment.
(Inform your prescribing doctor before discontinuing these medications.)
• Adepin (doxepin)
• Anafranil (chominpramine)
• Asendin (amoxipine)
• Aventyl (nortriptyline)
• Desyrel (trazadone)
• Endep (amitriptyline)
• Elavil (amitriptyline)
• Ludiomil (maprodine)
• Nopramin (desipramine)
• Pemlor (nortriptyline)
• Remeron (mirtazapine)
• Sinequon (doxepin)
• Surmontil (trimipramine)
• Tofranil (imipramine)
• Trabcioak (chlormezanone)
• Vivactil (protriptyline)

Stop these allergy/ asthma medications the night before your appointment:
• Singulair (montelukast0
• Zyflo (zileuton)

Stop these antacid medications the morning of your appointment:
• Axid (nizatidine)
• Pepcid (famotidine)
• Zantac (ranitidine)
• Tagamet (cimetidine)