At the Food Allergy Center at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, we want to help you and your child know what to expect before and after a food challenge.
Find out:
- How to prepare for your child's food challenge.
- The three possible outcomes of your child's food allergy challenge.
- What to expect once you get home.
Before the Food Challenge
Your child should stop taking all antihistamines
Four days before the challenge, stop taking:
- Allegra® (fexofenadine)
- Atarax® (hydroxyzine)
- Benadryl® (diphenhydramine)
- Periactin® (cyproheptadine)
- Xyzal® (levocetirizine)
- Zyrtec® (cetirizine)
Keep in mind that many over-the-counter cough and cold medicines also contain antihistamines.
Please read the labels on any drugs your child may take prior to the food challenge. Avoid anything with antihistamines for at least three days before the challenge.
About asthma medications
Your child should keep taking maintenance asthma medicines, like:
- Flovent®
- Advair®
- Singulair®
Do not give Albuterol®, Xopenex®, or other rescue inhalers on the morning of the challenge. If your child needs them, please call to cancel the appointment.
If your child takes drugs for other conditions, please let us know.
Reschedule if your child is sick
If your child is sick shortly before for his or her food challenge appointment, please call to reschedule. Allergic reactions can be more severe in a child who is already sick.
We can't perform a food challenge on a child who:
- Is sick.
- Is recovering from a recent asthma flare (asthma symptoms within 1-2 weeks).
- Has a severe eczema flare or rash.
If your child arrives and is sick, we won't perform the food challenge.
Please do not bring your sick child to a food challenge appointment for an exam or treatment. Instead, we may be able to help schedule an office visit.
Possible Outcomes of a Food Challenge
There are three possible outcomes of a food challenge.
Your child:
- Has an allergic reaction. He or she will need to continue to avoid the food.
- Tolerates the food. In this case, your child will not eat more of that food on the day of the challenge, but will keep the food in his or her diet.
- Refuses to eat enough of the food (a full serving), making the challenge results inconclusive.
After the Food Challenge
Once at home, there's a slight chance that your child will have a delayed allergic reaction. Contact your allergist or the allergist on call right away if this happens.
Rarely, a food allergy may recur after a child has passed a food challenge. We suggest that you keep the specific food in your child’s diet about three times per week.
