When I was a child, all of my blood tests were performed at a military clinic
that I swear used huge, rusty spikes - the bigger the better for smaller
children! I have many memories of passing out immediately following a
painful blood test... the beginning of my fear of needles - and my life long
avoidance of allergy testing!
Since then I've had three children, lots of needles
and even more sinus infections. After seeing an ENT specialist, I decided
it was time to grow up and go through allergy testing. The week before my
intradermal allergy testing was indeed a stressful one. I would often
begin to reflect on the seventy needles that would be pushed in to my
skin, soon resulting in sweaty palms and a queasy stomach.
There are many medications that can interfere with
allergy testing. Three days before the test I was to stop ibuprofin and
antihistamines. The nurse asked me several questions about what
medications I was taking and told me what I needed to stop before I came in.
Fortunately, the nurse who performed my test was
very good and extremely nurturing. I tried to act brave, but she easily
saw through me. I told her that if I could give birth with no medication,
I could certainly take a few needles in the arm! But this three hour test
wasn't quite as easy as I had thought - but it also didn't kill me!
Before anything started, I was given a blood test at
my request to test for food allergies. A vial was taken and sent to a
company in California. This lab tests for over one hundred possible food
allergies, from dairy to bay leaf to black pepper! As of this writing, I
have not received the results yet.
Time for the allergy testing! I sat in a chair
and she wiped my arm with alcohol. Then she quickly put three needles in
to the top of my arm. In truth, the needles really weren't that painful.
There was a pinch with each of the three, but nothing that would normally put me
on the floor. The nurse explained that these were the controls. One
was a histamine that was meant for my body to fight. If it didn't, it
meant I had an antihistamine in my system that would invalidate the test.
The second was glycerin and the third saline - both of which my body should not
react to.
The nurse had two long plastic pieces that each had
two rows of needles in them. The needles were dipped in allergens.
She pushed them in to each of the inside of my forearms. They were
slightly uncomfortable but didn't hurt. I had to sit while my body had a
chance to react to the histamines. From there, the nurse knew what to test
for on my arms.
Then came the fun. The nurse brought in rows
of hypodermic needles, each containing a few drops of a different allergen.
She drew three rows down my arm with a marker and began injecting the allergens
just under the skin. There were several that I didn't feel at all.
Then some that pinched but where quick - and then some that she warned would
really hurt. And they did. These were the thick solutions that
burned even after the needle was out.
After the first round of needles I had to sit.
The nurse would set the timer and then read the dots after a certain amount of
time. Then she would inject another row down my arm. Once three rows
were completed on each arm, she started back on the first arm in between the
first rows. As each portion was completed I had to sit and wait for my
body to react and then be read.
My mother has had several allergy tests and said
they didn't bother her at all. Me? I'm a redhead with sensitive skin
and a history of blundered blood tests in my past. Was it a painful test?
No, not really. I would call it uncomfortable at times, with a few that
really hurt. But most of them were little pinches. If you aren't
afraid of needles, this will be a walk in the park for you. But if you are
uncomfortable with needles, you may need a few rests, a walk to the drink
machine and a movie in the DVD player. I managed to watch the entire tape
of The Little Princess as a way to keep my mind off of my arms. And
talking to my mother on the cell phone got me through the last round of pinches.
The afternoon after the test I felt tired and a bit
achy. I was able to take Tylenol for the aches. Twenty four hours
and forty eight hours after the test I was required to have someone "read" my
arms. This told the nurse if my body had delayed reactions to the
allergens. Even five days after the testing, my arm is a bit itchy.
I could take an antihistamine if I wanted to, but the itching hasn't been bad
enough to motivate me to get one.
My allergy shots start in two weeks for my dust
mite, dog and mold allergies. (The dog is NOT leaving!) It will be
one shot each time. After sitting through more than seventy needles in my
arm in a morning, I will look at that one single needle and say, "Bring it on!"
