Scratch/prick Skin Testing?

[ECD]

I know this isn't really Celiac disease related, but my doctor wants to rule out food allergies based on my symptoms so I'm scheduled to have skin allergy testing done in a little over a week. Do I have to eat gluten to get this test done?

also, i take antihistamines a few times a week to help out with symptoms. i know i'm supposed to not take these before the test to avoid false negative results, but how soon do i need to stop? i took two benadryl last night after eating out to help with itchy throat and stuffy nose. do i need to push back the testing or is a week long enough?

and lastly, is putting flour on a scratch the same thing as this test? i've gotten flour on a scratch whilst baking and had no hives or unusual itchiness. does that mean i'm not allergic to wheat or what?

thanks so much!

[jerseyangel]

I know this isn't really Celiac disease related, but my doctor wants to rule out food allergies based on my symptoms so I'm scheduled to have skin allergy testing done in a little over a week. Do I have to eat gluten to get this test done?

also, i take antihistamines a few times a week to help out with symptoms. i know i'm supposed to not take these before the test to avoid false negative results, but how soon do i need to stop? i took two benadryl last night after eating out to help with itchy throat and stuffy nose. do i need to push back the testing or is a week long enough?

and lastly, is putting flour on a scratch the same thing as this test? i've gotten flour on a scratch whilst baking and had no hives or unusual itchiness. does that mean i'm not allergic to wheat or what?

thanks so much!

Hi

It doesn't matter if you are eating gluten or not for the skin testing. However, I do remember that there was a period of time that my allergist's office instructed me to stop taking antihistamines before the test. It was over two years ago, and I don't remember how long it was.

I would suggest calling your allergist on Monday morning and asking them because it could affect the ability to get an accurate result.

It's hard to tell if your allergic or not--and to what degree, if any--from getting flour on a scratch.

[ECD]

It's hard to tell if your allergic or not--and to what degree, if any--from getting flour on a scratch.

thanks so much for responding so quickly! i know i'm probably being really dumb, but i thought that's basically what the test was going to be... putting small amounts of different foods on my skin and then making scratches. wouldn't the flour be the same thing?

[Amyleigh0007]

I had allergy testing done a few months ago. I was told to stop taking my allergy meds two weeks before my appointment. I had the scratch testing done too. They used oils of the foods on tack looking things and poked my skin. I'm not sure why it's called "scratch" because it's not really scratching. It's poking.

[Sweetfudge]

from my understanding, this is a test to see your immune response to foods. i had it done a few months ago, and came back negative for everything. my doctor said that this didn't rule out celiac disease, since it's not an ALLERGY. nor did it rule out lactose intolerance, or any "sensitivities" i might have. it just checked for any allergic response my body might have to foods. so i don't think eating gluten before would affect it.