Treatment of Seasonal and Perennial Rhinitis with Intranasal Flunisolide

Flunisolide (F). a potent fluorinated corticosteroid or its propylene/polyethylene glycol vehicle (V) were intranasally administered to 50 patients with ragweed hayfever and 75 patients with perennial rhinitis. Each patient was randomly assigned in a double‐blind manner an indistinguishable metered pump spray device containing either F or V. Each hayfever patient administered two pulls in each nostril b.i.d. Each perennial rhinitis patient administered two puffs in each nostril t.i.d. Each puff of E contained 25 μg V. Hayfever and perennial rhinitis patients inhaling F demonstrated significantly lower symptom scores compared to their V controls. Skin test positive patients with perennial rhinitis inhaling F demonstrated significantly larger reductions in symptom scores and significandy greater subjective control of symptoms compared to their V controls than their skin test negative counterparts inhaling F and V. Morning plasma cortisol measured prior to and at the end of 1 month and 3 months of F revealed no significant diminution in cortisol level compared to patients inhaling V. No long‐term adverse local or systemic steroid effects attributable to E were observed. Flunisolide spray is a safe and effective modality for the treatment of seasonal and perennial rhinitis.