Flonase
Will Flonase Relieve My Allergy Symptoms?
Key takeaways:
Flonase (fluticasone propionate) is a nonprescription nasal spray.
It relieves allergy symptoms by reducing the inflammation in and around your nose.
Here, three people share their experiences taking Flonase.
Flonase, a widely recognized brand of over-the-counter nasal spray, is a go-to solution for people seeking relief from allergy symptoms.
Its active ingredient is fluticasone propionate. It is an intranasal corticosteroid that reduces inflammation in the nasal passages. This eases common allergy symptoms, like nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and itchy or watery eyes.
Here’s how three people describe what it’s like to use Flonase and whether it worked for them.
Deirdre Schwein doesn’t doubt that Flonase keeps her allergy symptoms in check.
She has taken it many times in the last 20 years to relieve her allergy symptoms. And when she stopped taking it — “thinking it’s not really doing anything,” she says — she regretted it. “Within a week, everything is worse,” she says. “It absolutely works.”
Deirdre is a 51-year-old administrative contractor who works from home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her allergy triggers include cats, weeds, flowers, dust, and mold.
“Technically, I am histamine intolerant,” she says, referring to a condition in which the body has difficulty breaking down histamine, a chemical compound that helps trigger inflammation.
It took a lot of trial and error to find a treatment that worked. “They [doctors] basically prescribed me everything in their toolbox,” she says.
She has found that Flonase in the morning and evening, plus allergy pills, keeps her sinuses clear. “That’s my ultimate goal,” she says.
Deirdre’s dose of Flonase is higher than what’s recommended for most people. GoodRx pharmacists recommend following the package instructions unless a healthcare professional tells you otherwise.
Deirdre says her case is complicated because she also has asthma. Histamine intolerance symptoms, which may resemble allergy symptoms, can worsen asthma.
Evelyn McGurk is 51 and works in medical coding compliance from her home in Evergreen Park, Illinois. She loves her pets, but she says they make Flonase mandatory.
Along with seasonal allergies, “I’m allergic to animals. And I won’t give up the animals,” she says. “It’s not bad if I’m away from home. But when I’m around the animals in my perpetually dusty old house, I find I have more issues.”
Her allergy symptoms were “more just an annoyance,” she says. “I would have people say, ‘Here’s a tissue,’ because I’d be constantly sniffing.”
Her symptoms brought more than watery eyes and a runny nose, she says. “I would get a postnasal drip when I was sleeping, so I would cough at night. That was kind of an annoyance, waking me up.”
Even more troubling were frequent sinus infections.
“Once, when I had really bad sinusitis, I did have a doctor say, ‘Are you taking the Flonase?’” Her reaction: “Well, no, I’m sick.”
The doctor advised her to take it for its anti-inflammatory properties. “That’s when I did a little more research on it. And yeah, it worked. That was the last real sinus infection,” she says.
“If I miss a day [taking Flonase], I will notice that I start feeling a tingling in my nose. I get more of a runny nose. It’s almost like the sensation that you have a cold starting. I will find that my sinuses get stuffed up. Not that it’s a miracle drug. It just helps keep things at bay.”
Meagan Tomasso, a 28-year-old biochemist in Philadelphia, has been using generic Flonase — known as fluticasone propionate nasal spray — for 5 years.
“I was waking up with my eyes swollen every day, and I went to the allergist,” she says. “He figured out it was dust mites, and he put me on Flonase. That helped a lot with the swelling.”
Meagan was grateful she saw an allergist. On her own, she says, she would not have thought about using a nasal spray to treat her eye symptoms.
“I wouldn’t have known that unless someone told me,” she says. It works on other issues as well. “I do get sinus symptoms too, like a stuffy nose.”
She uses the spray once a day, giving herself two 50 mcg pumps in each nostril. That adds up to the recommended daily limit on Flonase. Meagan also uses other generic allergy medications, such as desloratadine (generic Clarinex), a prescription-only antihistamine.
As for the nasal spray, Meagan says you need to administer it properly. “I remember the doctor saying the way you angle it in your nose is important.” When she used it wrong, she says, she saw dried blood in her nose.
“Everyone reacts differently to things. I’ve had weird responses to some meds when other people were fine,” Meagan says. But with Flonase, “I always had a good experience.”
Senior Pharmacy Editor
Flonase (fluticasone propionate) is a popular over-the-counter allergy nasal spray. Unlike antihistamines like Astepro, Flonase is a nasal steroid that works by reducing inflammation in the nose and sinuses. This helps relieve allergy symptoms, such as a runny nose. For some people, it can also help with common eye-related allergy symptoms, such as watery or itchy eyes.
The typical Flonase dosage for adults is 1 or 2 sprays in each nostril once a day. Most people can safely use it every day throughout allergy season. But if you’ve been using it daily for 6 months, speak with a healthcare professional. They may want to evaluate your symptoms and make sure Flonase is still the right treatment for you.
Flonase is not that same as azelastine where it provides immediate relief. It takes a few days for it to start working. But some people may not notice relief for the first 2 weeks of treatment. If you have seasonal allergies, consider starting Flonase at least 2 weeks before symptoms are likely to begin.
Flonase works best when you use it every day. Missed doses can lead to a return of symptoms. And how you use it is as important as remembering your doses. A pharmacist can give you tips on using nasal sprays correctly.
Flonase is well tolerated with few or no side effects for many people. If you experience nosebleeds while using Flonase, contact a healthcare professional. Sometimes this happens when people aren’t using it correctly. But nosebleeds can also be a symptom of nasal ulcers, a serious side effect. Your prescriber can help determine the cause of your nosebleeds and whether you should continue using Flonase.
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