Histamine Diagnostic
Before Having This TestIn deciding to use a diagnostic test, any risks of the test must be weighed
against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make.
Also, test results may be affected by other things. For histamine, the following
should be considered:
Allergies - Tell your health care professional if you are allergic
to any substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy - Studies have not been done in either humans or animals.
Breast-feeding - It is not known whether histamine passes into the
breast milk. However, histamine has not been reported to cause problems in
nursing babies.
Children - There is no specific information comparing the use
of histamine in children with use in other age groups.
Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically
in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly
the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects
or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use
of histamine in the elderly with use in other age groups.
Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used
together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together
even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to
change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving
histamine, it is especially important that your health care professional know
if you are taking any of the following:
-
Antacids or
-
Anticholinergics (medicine for abdominal or stomach spasms or cramps)
or
-
Cimetidine (e.g., Tagamet) or
-
Famotidine (e.g., Pepcid) or
-
Nizatidine (e.g., Axid) or
-
Omeprazole (e.g., Prilosec) or
-
Ranitidine (e.g., Zantac) - These medicines decrease the effect
that histamine has on the production of stomach acid, and the test may not
work
Other medical problems - The presence of other medical
problems may affect the use of histamine. Make sure you tell your doctor if
you have any other medical problems, especially:
-
Heart disease - Histamine's effect on the heart may make the
condition worse
-
High blood pressure (severe) or
-
Low blood pressure - Histamine may increase the high blood pressure
further or lower an already low blood pressure
-
Kidney disease (severe) - The histamine may build up in the body
and cause side effects
-
Lung disease (especially asthma) - There is a chance that this
test may make the condition worse; for example, an asthma attack may occur
-
Pheochromocytoma - Histamine may cause serious damage to the
brain and blood vessels.
Preparation for This TestYour doctor may
ask you to avoid certain medicines before the histamine test is done. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully
. Otherwise,
this test may not work and may have to be done again.
Do not eat anything for twelve hours before the test
, unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Having food in the stomach
may affect the interpretation of the test results.
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