INTRANASAL THERAPY WITH ONCE-DAILY TRIAMCINOLONE ACETONIDE AEROSOL VERSUS TWICE-DAILY BECLOMETHASONE DIPROPIONATE AQUEOUS SPRAY IN PATIENTSWITH PERENNIAL ALLERGIC RHINITIS

A single-masked, randomized, controlled, multicenter, parallel-group s tudy compared the efficacy, tolerability, and specific treatment-relat ed side effects of 4 weeks of intranasal therapy with 220-mu g once-da ily triamcinolone acetonide aerosol versus 168-mu g twice-daily beclom ethasone dipropionate aqueous spray in 313 patients with perennial all ergic rhinitis. Both treatments produced similar improvement in rhinit is symptoms (nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, postnasal drip, sneezing, a nd nasal itching) and in mean total nasal symptom scores. There were n o clinically or statistically significant between-group differences in physician global evaluation of symptom relief or in the number of pat ients who withdrew prematurely from the study because of insufficient therapeutic effect. The onset of action during the first week of thera py was comparable for the two treatments. The frequency of two specifi c treatment-related complaints-medication running down the throat and medication running out of the nose-was statistically significantly les s with triamcinolone acetonide than with beclomethasone dipropionate. The severity of these two complaints, plus one other-bad medication ta ste-was statistically significantly greater with beclomethasone diprop ionate. The frequency of drug-related adverse events was similar in th e two treatment groups. The results of this trial indicate that triamc inolone acetonide, 220 mu g once daily, is comparable to beclomethason e dipropionate, 168 mu g twice daily, in relieving the nasal symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis. Both treatments were well tolerated, a lthough some specific treatment-related events were significantly more frequent and severe in the beclomethasone dipropionate aqueous spray group than In the triamcinolone acetonide aerosol group.