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 puffs in each nostril b.i.d. Each perennial rhinitis patient administered two puffs in each nostril t.i.d. Each puff of F contained 25 micrograms F. Hayfever and perennial rhinitis patients inhaling F demonstrated significantly lowered symptom scores compared to their V controls. Skin test positive patients with perennial rhinitis inhaling F demonstrated significantly large reductions in symptom scores and significantly greater subjective control of symptoms compared to their V control 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 F were observed. Flunisolide spray is a safe and effective modality for the treatment of seasonal and perennial rhinitis.