We have a wide variety of personally created handouts available in our clinic that we will be glad to provide you during your appointment.
The following websites provide good, reliable information:


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I prepare for my appointment?
Part of your comprehensive allergy assessment and evaluation may include skin prick testing. Certain medication can interfere with skin prick test results. Please avoid the following for 5 days before your appointment:

  • Antihistamines (Benadryl, Reactine, Claritin, Aerius, Allegra etc)
  • Certain cough and cold medicine containing 'diphenhydramine'
  • Stomach medicine and oral ulcer medicine (ranitidine, omeprazole) for 3-4 days if you can
  • On occasion, antipsychotic and antidepressant medication such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants are known to interfere with skin test results. More often that not we can still do testing or if we cannot, do blood testing in lieu of skin testing.
Is the skin test painful?
We use a particular skin test device that is far less painful than the traditional skin prick test - see this section. The general answer is that the test is not painful, but you will feel a scratch, i.e. it is uncomfortable for seconds. Patients - in particular young children - are more anxious about the test than the actual test itself. There are no needles for this test in our clinic. The closest equivalent sensation to our test is a quick prick with a tooth pick.
I have been previously seen by another allergist and would like to transfer care to you. Is that possible?
Given that we are such a busy clinic with a very long waiting list we no longer accept transfer of care or second opinions as this results in patients who have never been evaluated by an allergist having to wait longer for their appointment.
Do you prescribe allergy shots?
Yes. We follow established and evidence based Canadian and American allergy guidelines with regards to the administration of subcutaneous immunotherapy, i.e. 'allergy shots' (Allergy Immunotherapy Practice Parameters, third update 2010). These are:

- Skin testing is required before allergy shots are considered. We provide allergy treatment only to what you tested significantly positive to. The skin test has to be done in our clinic as the allergy shot extract used for treatment is the manufacturer extract that is used for skin testing.

- We do not provide prescriptions for allergy shots for more than 5 years. There is no evidence that allergy shots for more than 5 years provide any benefit.

- We do not provide allergy shots for patients who have an allergy to the pet they have and plan on keeping. For example, geting allergy immunotherapy to cat instead of removing your cat from the household. As difficult as it may seem, we advise removing the pet rather than getting allergy shots to the pet. Dr. Hadi's experience in this instance is that allergy shots are not effective.

Allergy shots have to be given at your physician's office. We will not provide allergy shots to administer at home as there is always a risk of anaphylaxis when administering allergy shots. No exceptions apply, even if you are a health care professional. The site administering allergy shots needs to be able to deal with anaphylaxis. Unfortunately we do not administer allergy shots in our clinic.

Do you test for food allergies?
Yes. We run our clinic to the highest standard and offer food allergy testing. Please note that food skin testing determines the presence of IgE mediated allergic reactions (such as anaphylaxis).

Skin testing does not evaluate for intolerance or sensitivities and apart from a food diary there is no scientifically validated test. The only exception for sensitivity testing is for gluten intolerance (celiac disease) and lactose intolerance, which is a blood test your primary care physician can order and for which you do not need to be seen by us.

I think I have multiple allergies and want testing to multiple foods randomly

According to the guidelines published by both the Canadian, American and European allergy societies, not only is random food panel testing not recommended, it actually has a potential for causing significant harm. We abide by those guidelines.

Food allergy testing is only recommended if prior ingestion of that food has caused symptoms suggestive of an IgE mediated reaction, which classically presents with difficulty breathing, vomiting, rapid onset of a full body rash etc. In that case, we would indeed test you to the food in question.

In all other cases, food panel testing is associated with a very high false positive rate. Food panel testing does not evaluate for food sensitivities or intolerance (such as lactose intolerance). In those cases 30-40% of the time food panel testing will be falsely positive, ie tell you that you have an allergy to a food which you actually don't. This is why we don't do random food testing.

If you are still insistent of getting 'random food panel' testing, I recommend that your doctor refer you to other physicians in Calgary, who choose to practice in this unsafe manner.

I was told I have various food sensitivities based on testing by my naturopath or health care provider
You may be referring to IgG testing. This test is being sold by individuals as having the potential for detecting sensitivities or intolerances. This has never been shown to be the case. The Canadian Society for Allergy and Immunology has an official guideline with regards to this non-scientific practice.

I think I may have a skin contact allergy. Can you help?
Yes. We are the only allergy clinic in Calgary to patch test for contact allergic dermatitis. This involves placing the allergen in question on your back for 2 days and then us interpreting the results. This will tell you if you are allergic to the components in various cosmetics, metals, lotions or sunscreens.

Similar to allergy skin testing, this service is not covered by Alberta Health and the there is a material fee of $97. Prepayment of this fee is required before your scheduled appointment.
I have more general questions about allergies.
Check out American College for Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and American Academy for Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. These websites have a repository of useful information for patients with allergic concerns.
I have more questions about my upcoming appointment, but cannot find an answer on your website.
If you have a question about how to prepare for your appointment, please call us at 403-ALLERGY.
If you have general allergy questions, please wait until your appointment day.






Hours of Operation:
Monday 0800-1500
Tuesday 0800-1500
Wednesday 0800-1500
Thursday 0800-1500
Friday 0800-1200
Weekends and Holidays: closed

Address:
Allergy Physicians Calgary
5918 - 3rd St SW
Calgary T2H 0H8

Telephone:
403-ALLERGY (403-255-3749)
Facsimile:
1-833-816-5734
(Second fax line: 403-457-8237)


Drs. Hadi, Hinther and Almatrafi are medical sub-specialists and per Alberta Health regulations see patients via referral only. If you have an emergency, please call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest hospital. If you have an urgent or semi-urgent medical need, please see your primary care physician for evaluation or advice.

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