Initial Visit
Your initial appointment will take about 1-1/2 hours. Please advise us at least 48 hours prior to your appointment if you are unable to keep your appointment time.

Medications
Certain medications (antihistamines and cold pills) interfere with accurate skin tests. Therefore, please discontinue these medications at least three days prior to your appointment: Chlor-Trimeton, clemastine, Benadryl, Atarax, Dimetapp, Duratap, Actifed, azatadine, Temeril and PBZ. Some medications need to be discontinued two weeks prior to your appointment: Allegra, Seldane, Seldane-D, Claritin, Claritin-D and Zyrtec.

Hismanal (astemizole) is extremely long acting and MUST be discontinued six weeks prior to your appointment to ensure accurate skin test results.

DO NOT STOP ANY ASTHMA MEDICATIONS!! You may continue to use your inhalers and any oral medications taken for asthma such as: Prednisone, theophylline, and Proventil/Ventolin (albuterol). You may also continue to use nasal sprays.

If you do not see your medications listed above and are not sure, please feel free to call our office and we can verify for you.

DO NOT STOP ROUTINE MEDICATIONS PRESCRIBED BY YOUR PHYSICIAN!! For example: Heart medications, antihypertensives, diuretics, antibiotics, etc.

If your appointment is for venom testing for possible bee sting allergy, a six week interval following your last bee sting must occur before skin testing can be performed.

Prescription Refills
If you need prescription refills, please call our office Monday-Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Please call before you are completely out of medications. We call in prescriptions twice a day, at noon and at 4:00 p.m. It is required that all patients taking medications have an exam with the doctor at least once per year or every six months, according to doctor's recommendation.

If you are on allergy injections and need extract refills, extract schedules can be faxed in at 1-800-998-7576, or mailed to the Battle Creek office. Extracts are made daily and we will get your order filled within seven days in most cases.

Phone Calls
If you should have a health related concern between visits, please feel free to call our office. Many questions can be answered by our nurse, after consulting with the doctor. If you would like to speak with one of the doctors, they would be glad to return your call.

If you need emergency treatment, call our office night or day. If you call after the office is closed, the telephone message will tell you how to reach the doctor on call. If you cannot wait to have the doctor call you back, proceed to the nearest emergency or urgent care facility.