false negative skin tests. - Allergies Message Board

kellykay · 07-26-2004, 07:55 AM

i recently was seen by an immunologist..allergist..
i have serious sinus issues and tested positve for a rare form of vasculitis that attacks the upper air ways
anyways.. he felt the test was a false positive and is running it again.. he felt that my sinus problems were chronic sinustis due to chronic hayfever
and he did his skin tests to determine what i was allergic to.. the only positive reaction was the control... he tried to tell me it didn't matter that 50 % of poeple do not react to skin tests.. from what i have been reading that is not true or why would they run the tests.. anyone ever have this happen. or know anything about the subject.. I am very confused...

Blondee15 · 07-26-2004, 09:30 PM

i'm what you would call really sensitive, very allergic to many things, especially with my skin!
but the skin scratch tests came back negative, which was reallllly weird, so they did an intradermal test where they actually injected it underneath my skin.. did not flare up right away.. but about an hour later, surely there were hard, itchy bumps to many things I had suspected all along. Didn't know it was that inaccurate- that is interesting to know though!

CheerAngel · 07-27-2004, 11:48 AM

Somtimes, any tests can be negative eventhough you should be positive. So sometimes tests are run a couple of times before a positive result is achieved. Different kinds of tests have different accuracy rate, e.g. food allergy test are usually not accurate...

Btw Blondee15, can you tell me more about the intradermal test? What kind of allergen did they injected you with? I react to my skin test mildly and they don't think I'm allergic...

Hang in there KellyKay, I hope you'll get better answers soon.

craftlady · 07-27-2004, 12:34 PM

Were you taking any kind of allergy meds for two weeks before your test? If you did it would produce the wrong results. I stop taking meds for two weeks before my testing date on the advice of my allergist, some things came back pos others are just a minor problem now.

Blondee15 · 07-27-2004, 08:21 PM

Wow 2 weeks? I only stopped my allergy meds for 4 days! I take Clarinex, Flonase & Advair.
The intradermal tests should have been done right after the skin scratch tests, it's basically a shot, but not as deep! It hurts! & it leaves marks for quite a bit, especially if you react to them! But it is more accurate I would think.