Decongestants

Decongestants are medications that can reduce the stuffy nose produced by nasal allergy symptoms. They shrink the blood vessels in the nose and thus reduce the nasal congestion, which can allow easier breathing. They are available in both prescription and over-the-counter forms, as pills, which are taken by mouth, or as nasal sprays. Decongestants are also packaged as part of a combination product with certain antihistamines.

Nasal decongestants do not relieve the common nasal allergy symptoms of sneezing and runny nose. In addition, they can sometimes produce side effects such as:

Insomnia
Loss of appetite
Excessive nervousness

Prolonged decongestant nasal spray use can also result in rebound nasal congestion. That means that if you use decongestants for more than a few days, you may actually end up with more nasal congestion.

If you're not getting satisfactory improvement in your nasal allergy symptoms with the nasal allergy treatment you're using now, maybe it's time you talked with your doctor (or your child's doctor) about which allergy medication(s) could benefit you.

Indication and Important Safety Information

RHINOCORT AQUA (budesonide) is for the management of seasonal and year-round nasal allergy symptoms in adults and children 6 years of age and older.

The most commonly observed side effects associated with the use of RHINOCORT AQUA in clinical studies were nosebleed, sore throat, nasal irritation, cough and breathing difficulties such as wheezing, chest tightening or coughing due to airway constriction.

Your doctor may prescribe RHINOCORT AQUA at a dose of 1 to 4 sprays per nostril once daily. Take RHINOCORT AQUA exactly as directed.

Your nasal allergy symptoms may begin to improve within 10 hours after first using RHINOCORT AQUA. In one group of patients that were studied, RHINOCORT AQUA and the nasal spray mometasone furoate (a medication used for comparison in the study) both improved nasal allergy symptoms within 8 hours. However, you must continue to take your medication every day, as directed by your doctor. Your nasal allergy symptoms will continue to improve over the first few days, and maximum relief may take about 2 weeks to achieve.

Please click here for full Prescribing Information

This product information is intended for US consumers only. RHINOCORT AQUA is a registered trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.