Oral food challenge

Please bring the food that you or your child will be challenged with and your auto-injectable epinephrine (e.g. Epi-Pen) to the appointment.

7 Days Before Challenge:

Stop any oral antihistamine medications. This includes Benadryl (diphenhydramine), Zyrtec (cetirizine), Claritin (loratidine), Allegra (fexofenadine), and Atarax (hydroxyzine).There are many other antihistamines, so it is important to read all medication labels carefully, especially over-the-counter allergy/sinus/cold medications. If you have any questions, or if you take any of these medications within 1 week of the challenge, please contact our clinic.

If you have asthma, please continue your daily inhaled steroid medications for asthma (Flovent, Advair, Pulmicort, Symbicort, Asmanex) and/or Singulair.

If you use albuterol, Xopenex or any bronchodilator medication more than two times (except prior to exercise) in the week before the food challenge, please contact our clinic.
You can continue inhaled steroid nasal sprays (Flonase, Nasonex, Rhinocort), but please stop antihistamine nasal sprays (Astelin, Astepro).

Day of the Challenge:

You can have only clear liquids (e.g., water, fruit juices that have no pulp, sports drinks, popsicles) for 2 hours prior to the challenge.

Please arrive on time.

During the challenge, vital signs, oxygen saturation, breath sounds, and skin assessments will be performed regularly. We will also ask you to note any signs or symptoms that you observe and report them immediately to us.

You will be in the clinic for several hours. Please bring something to occupy yourself such as a laptop, book, iPad, etc.

During the challenge, no other food should be ingested.

Following the food challenge, you will be given specific recommendations depending upon the outcome of the challenge.

Please do not hesitate to call our clinic for any questions or concerns: 617-804-6767.

Recipes for Baked Products

Below you will find recipes for baked products: