I'm Allergic but All My Allergy Testing is Negative

Occasionally, there are patients with histories and symptoms all consistent with allergies (environmental as well as foods)... BUT, when tested for allergies, everything comes back negative whether by skin or blood testing. This scenario is a tricky situation for which there is no easy answer, especially for those patients who desire to be treated with allergy shots/drops.

Usually, patients are told to continue with allergy medications (antihistamines, steroid nasal sprays, etc) as there are no other options. However, in our practice we do provide other options for treatment including allergy shots/drops. One is a candidate for these other options if the total serum IgE level is >30 IU/ml with a good history strongly suggestive of environmental allergies.

The other possibility is that you may have vasomotor rhinnitis and not allergies. Vasomotor rhinnitis causes many of the same sort of symptoms as allergies, but is due to pollen and other "allergic" substances acting more as physical irritants rather than an immune response which is what allergies are caused by. If that is the case, medications such as patanse, astelin, and atrovent nasal sprays work the best along with saline flushes (video).

A final possibility is "histamine intolerance." This condition is mainly found in middle-aged women who develop symptoms after eating histaine-rich foods such as alcohol, processed meats, fermented foods, cheese, etc. Treatment is by following a histamine-free diet +/- antihistamine use.

For more information, please contact our office to make an appointment. At the time of the appointment, please bring all your prior allergy test results.

Please note that we do NOT treat patients with symptomatic asthma (patients who use inhalers daily).

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