Matching articles for "Afrin"

Drugs for Allergic Rhinitis and Allergic Conjunctivitis

   
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • April 19, 2021;  (Issue 1622)
The choice of drugs for treatment of allergic rhinitis depends on the severity of symptoms and whether they are intermittent or persistent (see Table...
The choice of drugs for treatment of allergic rhinitis depends on the severity of symptoms and whether they are intermittent or persistent (see Table 1).
Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2021 Apr 19;63(1622):57-64 | Show Full IntroductionHide Full Introduction

OTC Drugs for Seasonal Allergies

   
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • April 22, 2019;  (Issue 1570)
Patients with seasonal allergies often experience nasal itching and congestion, sneezing, rhinorrhea, and itchy, watery eyes. Oral, intranasal, and ophthalmic preparations are widely available over the...
Patients with seasonal allergies often experience nasal itching and congestion, sneezing, rhinorrhea, and itchy, watery eyes. Oral, intranasal, and ophthalmic preparations are widely available over the counter (OTC) for relief of symptoms. Prescription products for management of allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis are reviewed separately.
Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2019 Apr 22;61(1570):57-60 | Show Full IntroductionHide Full Introduction

Oxymetazoline Cream (Rhofade) for Rosacea

   
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • May 22, 2017;  (Issue 1521)
The FDA has approved the selective alpha1A-adrenergic receptor agonist oxymetazoline as a 1% cream (Rhofade – Allergan) for topical treatment of persistent facial erythema of rosacea in adults....
The FDA has approved the selective alpha1A-adrenergic receptor agonist oxymetazoline as a 1% cream (Rhofade – Allergan) for topical treatment of persistent facial erythema of rosacea in adults. Brimonidine, a selective alpha2-adrenergic receptor agonist, was approved in 2013 as a 0.33% gel (Mirvaso) for the same indication. Like Mirvaso, Rhofade is not indicated for treatment of inflammatory lesions of rosacea. Oxymetazoline has been available over the counter for many years as a nasal decongestant spray (Afrin, and others).
Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2017 May 22;59(1521):84-6 | Show Full IntroductionHide Full Introduction

Drugs for Allergic Disorders

   
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • May 8, 2017;  (Issue 1520)
Allergic rhinitis can be classified as seasonal, perennial, or episodic. It is often associated with allergic conjunctivitis, rhinosinusitis, and asthma. H1-ANTIHISTAMINES — Oral – Oral...
Allergic rhinitis can be classified as seasonal, perennial, or episodic. It is often associated with allergic conjunctivitis, rhinosinusitis, and asthma.

H1-ANTIHISTAMINES — Oral – Oral second-generation H1-antihistamines are the preferred first-line treatment for relief of the itching, sneezing, and rhinorrhea that characterize mild-to-moderate allergic rhinitis. They are less effective for nasal congestion.
Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2017 May 8;59(1520):71-82 | Show Full IntroductionHide Full Introduction

In Brief: Oral Phenylephrine for Nasal Congestion

   
The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics • December 21, 2015;  (Issue 1484)
In 2007, an FDA advisory committee asked that placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trials be conducted to establish the efficacy of the oral decongestant phenylephrine (Sudafed PE, and others), which is sold over...
In 2007, an FDA advisory committee asked that placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trials be conducted to establish the efficacy of the oral decongestant phenylephrine (Sudafed PE, and others), which is sold over the counter (OTC) as a single agent and in combination with other drugs for treatment of cold and allergy symptoms. Phenylephrine replaced pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, and others) in many OTC formulations when access to pseudoephedrine-containing products was restricted in an effort to reduce their use in the synthesis of methamphetamine.

CLINICAL STUDIES — In a randomized, open-label, dose-ranging trial in 539 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, phenylephrine doses up to four times the recommended dose of 10 mg were no more effective than placebo in reducing symptomatic nasal congestion.1 Other recent studies have also found oral phenylephrine no more effective than placebo in reducing nasal congestion.2-4

ALTERNATIVES – Oral pseudoephedrine reduces nasal congestion, but has no effect on other symptoms such as sneezing, itching, or rhinitis, and tolerance to its effects can occur with repeated use. Potential adverse effects include insomnia, excitability, headache, nervousness, anorexia, palpitations, tachycardia, arrhythmias, hypertension, nausea, vomiting, and urinary retention. Pseudoephedrine should be used cautiously in patients with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, narrow-angle glaucoma, or bladder neck obstruction.

Intranasal decongestants such as oxymetazoline (Afrin, and others) are effective and less likely than pseudoephedrine to cause systemic adverse effects, but they can cause stinging, burning, sneezing, dryness of the nose and throat, and, if used for more than 3-5 consecutive days, rebound congestion (rhinitis medicamentosa). Intranasal corticosteroids are the most effective drugs available for prevention and relief of nasal congestion and other seasonal allergic rhinitis symptoms.5

CONCLUSION — Oral phenylephrine is not effective for treatment of nasal congestion.

  1. EO Meltzer et al. Oral phenylephrine HCl for nasal congestion in seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled study. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2015; 3:702.
  2. EO Meltzer at al. Phenylephrine hydrochloride modified-release tablets for nasal congestion: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in allergic rhinitis patients. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2015 November 7 (epub).
  3. F Horak et al. A placebo-controlled study of the nasal decongestant effect of phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine in the Vienna Challenge Chamber. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2009; 102:116.
  4. JH Day et al. Efficacy of loratadine-montelukast on nasal congestion in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis in an environmental exposure unit. Allergy Asthma Immunol 2009; 102:328.
  5. Drugs for allergic disorders. Treat Guidel Med Lett 2013; 11:43.


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Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2015 Dec 21;57(1484):174 | Show Full IntroductionHide Full Introduction