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Preparing for Your Hives Appointment

Allergy Medication Withdrawal

Please have the patient stop taking ALL ANTIHISTAMINES 5 days before their appointment except for patients with certain conditions. If your child has chronic hives (urticaria), mast cell diseases (such as mastocytosis) or atopic dermatitis (eczema) AND if discontinuing the medication will cause significant worsening of symptoms or discomfort for your child, then you do not have to discontinue antihistamines prior to your appointment. Please note that skin allergy testing may not be possible at your visit if antihistamines are taken within 5 days of the appointment.

If you have any questions, please talk to your child’s doctor or call us. Many over-the-counter cold medicines contain antihistamines.

Do not stop any other medications including asthma medications. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure.

Please check the label or ask a pharmacist if you are unsure. Common antihistamines include:

Actifed	D’Allergy	Phenyltoloxamine
Alavert	Desloratadine	Promethazine
Allegra	Dexachlorpheniramine Maleate	Robitussin
Atarax	Dimetane	Sudafed, Sudafed Plus
Azatadine Maleate	Dimetapp	Tavist
Benadryl	Diphenhydramine	Triaminic
Cetirizine	Drixoral	Tripolidine Hcl Vistaril
Chlorpheniramine Maleate	Fexofenadine	Tylenol Allergy
Chlortrimeton	Hydroxyzine	Vistaril
Clarinex	Loratadine	Zyrtec
Claritin	Levocetirizine
Contac	Periactin

What to Expect

The evaluation of your child for hives begins with a thorough history. We also perform a physical examination to identify any signs of allergic disease. If we feel that your child will benefit from skin prick testing to determine what they are allergic to, we will perform that procedure. In some cases, blood tests may be used to identify allergic triggers.

When we suspect an allergy, avoiding the allergen is recommended. This is the best way to prevent and avoid reactions. We will provide you with instructions and extensive education regarding limiting exposure to allergens. We will also provide your child with an individualized treatment plan to improve your child’s symptoms.

Before the First Visit

Plan to arrive at your appointment location at least 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment time, remembering to allow plenty of time for parking.
In an effort to provide a timely experience for all of our patients, please note that if you are more than 15 minutes late, there is a risk that the appointment may need to be cancelled and rescheduled.
Things to bring to your first appointment:
- Your insurance card and co-payment, which will be collected when you check-in.
- Any referrals your insurance requires before your child sees a pediatric specialist or for testing. Call your insurer directly to confirm what you need.
- Your child's medical records, lab results, medical imaging CD's, and any other physician notes related to your child's visit.
- Any medication your child is taking including the name and phone number of the pharmacy.
The patient must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian as a complete medical history will be obtained in addition to the physical exam and any necessary testing. The visit may last up to three hours.
Because we are an academic medical center, your child's complete health care team may include a fellow, resident or medical student.

Contact Us

Need to cancel or reschedule an appointment? Please call 312.227.6010 as soon as possible or at least 24 hours in advance. It helps us, and it helps other families receive timely care. Also, if your child develops chicken pox, please call us to reschedule.

Need to speak with us?

Office hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
When the office is closed: call 312.227.6010 and leave a message for the on-call physician

After 10 p.m.

If there is an emergency, go to the emergency room or call 911
If your call is not an emergency, you may leave a message and your call will be returned on the next day
You also may wish to call your child’s primary care doctor. If needed, your primary care doctor or emergency medicine physician may contact our on-call physician through the hospital operator at 312.227.4000

COVID-19 Precautions

Lurie Children's is an environment where your family’s safety and health is our priority. Learn more about the measures in place at our main hospital as well as our outpatient and surgery centers to ensure your safety on our COVID-19 information page.

Skin Prick Allergy Testing

Scroll through the photos to see the different stages of a skin prick allergy test.

The nurse will clean your child's skin with alcohol and draw numbers on it. The numbers match up with the specific allergen that is being tested. A drop of liquid containing the allergen is then placed on the skin. We also use a drop of saline and a drop of histamine. These are used to make sure your child's skin is reacting normally. A lancet (small, thin needle) is then used to slightly puncture the skin's surface. This allows the allergen to enter the skin. A child may experience mild discomfort but the procedure is not painful. Your child's arm will have to be held still for this part of the procedure. After the skin is pricked, we allow 15 minutes to see if the skin has reacted.

After 15 minutes, the skin is evaluated. Saline normally does not cause a reaction. The skin will normally react to the histamine. The nurse will measure the size of any bumps and the size of the redness around a bump. The size will be used to determine if there was an allergic reaction.

After the measurements are taken, the nurse will wipe off the patient’s arm and offer topical steroid cream or a cool towel for any itch.