Intranasal phototherapy is more effective than fexofenadine hydrochloride in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis: results of a pilot study.

Abstract

We recently showed that intranasal phototherapy represents an efficient therapeutic modality for the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). The aim of this pilot study was to compare the efficacy of intranasal phototherapy with that of the new generation antihistamine fexofenadine HCl in SAR. A randomized open study was conducted in patients with a history of moderate-to-severe ragweed-induced SAR. Thirty-one patients were randomly assigned to receive either intranasal irradiation three times a week for 2 weeks, or 180 mg fexofenadine HCl per day for 2 weeks. Each patient kept a diary of symptoms for nasal obstruction, nasal itching, rhinorrhea, sneezing and palate itching. Total nasal score (TNS), a sum of scores for nasal symptoms, was also calculated. In the rhinophototherapy group the individual scores significantly decreased compared with baseline for all of the parameters. In the fexofenadine HCl group none of the scores improved significantly at the end of the treatment except sneezing. TNS was significantly decreased in the rhinophototherapy group, but no significant change was observed in the fexofenadine HCl group after 2 weeks of treatment. In conclusion, we found that intranasal phototherapy is more efficient than fexofenadine HCl in reducing clinical symptoms for SAR.

• Authors: Edina Garaczi, Márta Boros-Gyevi, Zsolt Bella, Zsanett Csoma, Lajos Kemény, Andrea Koreck
• Journal: Photochemistry and photobiology (Photochem Photobiol) 2011 Mar-Apr Vol. 87 Issue 2 Pg. 474-7 ISSN: 1751-1097 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21366599 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2011 The Authors. Photochemistry and Photobiology © 2011 The American Society of Photobiology.

Chemical References

• Anti-Allergic Agents
• Terfenadine
• fexofenadine

Topics

• Administration, Intranasal
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Ambrosia (immunology)
• Anti-Allergic Agents (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Phototherapy (standards)
• Pilot Projects
• Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal (drug therapy)
• Terfenadine (administration & dosage, analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)