very anxious about allergist appt

[Ciel]

Hi everyone, I have an allergist appointment in a few days and I am feeling very nervous, very anxious and very fearful. I am afraid it will leave me feeling terribly upset and frustrated and I have been working myself up to high levels of anxiety because I know I will not know how to cope with that all over again. Life is so very hard lately in general and I don't know if I am able to handle these deep deep frustrations. I am afraid I am going to start crying right there in the office. I am still struggling to eat months after using my epipen in the spring and being dismissed all over again will be emotionally devastating. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. 

I got the reminder call today, and the message indicated that I should not take antihistamines or cold medicines for 3 days prior to the appointment. Perhaps a silly question, but does this mean I cannot take Zantac? Of course I thought of this after taking one a few minutes ago... Come to think about it, I'm not really sure what extactly is meant by cold medicines as a whole. Does anyone know about these two things?

[Mookie86]

  Do whatever you need to do in order to get through these difficult times.  You wouldn't be the first patient to cry in a doctor's office, so don't worry that you might.

I'd call your doctor and ask about Zantac as well as any other medications you might take before your testing.

What is the purpose of this upcoming allergy testing?  Are you trying to diagnose allergies, or are you trying to see if you're possibly no longer allergic to something?

[GingerPye]

Good Luck, Ciel.  Is this a new allergist? 

No, you would not be the first to cry in the dr office  -- unfortunately I have experience with that.

[AllergyMum]

  It is okay if you cry or are upset at the appointment. 

What I would suggest is to spend some time on the computer writing everything down.  Making lists to hand over to the doctor is a good way to communicate clearly, even when you are very upset, because the information is all written down.  Make 2 copies of the list (one for them and one for you) and bring a pen to write down what they are saying.  Hand the list over to the doctor as soon as the appointment starts so that nothing is missed that you want to discuss.

The list or lists that I would include are as follows:

One - A list of all the questions that you want to ask.  Making sure that the most important questions you want answers are the first listed.  This will help to keep the appointment on track and will make sure that the doctor answers all your questions.  For me I find that I can forget to ask an important question if I don't write it down.

Two – A list/chart of your reactions and if possible identify any of your thoughts on what may have caused the reactions.  I just print off a copy of DS's reaction history diary that I keep.

Three – A list of your past test results in a chart – I keep a running chart (updated after each appointment) of the list of allergens tested and their results.  Having all the results in a clear chart is much easier to discuss with the doctor than having them flipping around your folder looking at the old test results.  It is not always necessary, but I find it helpful since it show trending and I like to see the chronology of test results on single page.

Do you have someone who you trust to go with you to the appointment?  Sometime having a second pair of ears listening to the doctor can be helpful and calming.

I have no idea about limiting medication before the appointment, but perhaps the best thing would be to call the doctor's office today and ask what specifically you need to avoid and for how long does it need to be avoided prior to the appointment..

[Janelle205]

I would call the allergist to be sure, but mine let me keep taking both zantac and prilosec prior to testing.

[Ciel]

They said the same when I called this morning, only to stay away from antihistamines or cold medications.

It's not a new allergist, just a re-visit because I don't know the trigger of my anaphylactic reaction last April and I have struggled with significant anxiety with food and eating ever since.

Thanks for the detailed advice AllergyMum, I think you have a point about writing it down. I will try one more time and hope for the best.

[Susan]

   I think you are suffering from post tramatic shock syndrome.  Not to say your issues are not real, they are!  I'm just saying that your ability to cope right now is compromised.  It doesn't help that we're in the major foodie phase with school, thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas etc.  It's normal to feel fragile.

Do not be ashamed of crying!  I hope it goes well for you, do you have someone to go with you?  I wish I was there to hold your hand.  We're here for you! 

[Astyas]

Awww, I'm sorry to hear you're feeling poorly, Ciel! I'm hopeful that your appointment will be productive! My allergist  always has me stop heartburn medications, such as Zantec, because they're H2 blockers. If you're still super worried about it, I would just call the office with a list of medications that you're taking and have the nurse ask the doctor what you can stay on. Maybe you can even ask for some Prednisone  to help control your symptoms while you're off the antihistamines?