flunisolide
Flunisolide is a steroid nasal spray for seasonal or year-round allergies. It treats allergy symptoms that are related to the nose, such as congestion, sneezing, and runny nose. This medication is for people 6 years and older. Depending on your age, the dosage is 1 or 2 sprays into each nostril a few times a day. The most common side effect is temporary burning and stinging in the nose. The brand name Nasalide is discontinued, but generic flunisolide is still available.
What is Flunisolide?
What is Flunisolide used for?
Nasal symptoms caused by seasonal or year-round allergies (e.g., runny nose, sneezing)
How Flunisolide works
Flunisolide is a steroid (or also known as a corticosteroid). When you spray the medication into the nose, it helps lessen swelling and irritation that's caused by allergies. This helps relieve the nasal symptoms of allergies.
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What are the side effects of Flunisolide?
Common Side Effects
- Temporary burning and stinging in the nose (45%)
Other Side Effects
- Sneezing
- Stuffy nose
- Nosebleed
- Irritation in the nose
- Watery eyes
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Temporary or permanent loss of smell or taste
Source: DailyMed
The following side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common or rare
Bad smell
blindness
bloody mucus or unexplained nosebleeds
blurred or gradual loss of vision
burning or stinging after use of spray or irritation inside nose (continuing)
crusting, white patches, or sores inside nose
discharge or redness in eye, eyelid, or inner lining of the eyelid
headache
light-headedness or dizziness
loss of sense of taste or smell
nausea or vomiting
ringing in the ears
shortness of breath
skin rash
sore throat, cough, or hoarseness
stomach pains
stuffy, dry, or runny nose or watery eyes (continuing)
swelling of eyelids, face, or lips
tightness in chest
troubled breathing
unusual tiredness or weakness
white patches in throat
Symptoms of overdose
blurred vision
bone fractures
excess hair growth in females
fullness or rounding of the face, neck, and trunk
impotence in males
increased urination or thirst
lack of menstrual periods
menstrual changes
muscle wasting and weakness
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
Burning, dryness, or other irritation inside the nose (mild, lasting only a short time)
irritation of throat
Not all of the side effects listed above have been reported for each of these medicines, but they have been reported for at least one of them. All of the nasal corticosteroids are very similar, so any of the above side effects may occur with any of these medicines.
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Pros and cons of Flunisolide
Pros
A non-drowsy allergy medication
Okay for children 6 years and older to use
Has fewer side effects than steroid pills that are taken by mouth
Cons
Need to use regularly to get the most benefit from the medication
Doesn't help with other allergy symptoms, like watery, itchy eyes or sore throat
Not available over the counter
Pharmacist tips for Flunisolide
Follow the directions on how to use nasal sprays like flunisolide. Ask a healthcare professional if you have specific questions on how to use the flunisolide nasal spray.
Before you use a new bottle of flunisolide for the first time, you'll need to prime it. This means spraying 5 to 6 times into the air, or until you see a fine spray of medication come out of the nozzle tip. Priming the spray bottle makes sure you get a full dose of medication when you spray it into your nose.
Prime the bottle of flunisolide if you haven't used it for at least 5 days. Also prime the spray bottle after each time you've taken it apart to clean it.
Blow your nose gently before you use flunisolide. When you're ready, remove the dust cover. Insert the nozzle tip in one nostril and press close the other with a finger. Tilt your head forward a little. Then, spray towards the back and outer side of the nostril as you gently sniff at the same time. Tilt your head back to let the medication spread over the back of your nostril. Follow the same steps for the other nostril.
Avoid spraying flunisolide into your eyes. It can cause bothersome irritation.
Flunisolide can cause mild burning or stinging in your nose after you spray the medication into the nostril. This feeling should go away after a short while. Call a healthcare professional if the irritation is bothersome, if you get a nosebleed, or if your allergies get worse.
If the flunisolide spray nozzle gets clogged, don't use a sharp object to unplug it. This could damage the nozzle. Instead, take off the pump unit from the bottle and soak the pump in warm water. Squirt several times under the water. Let the pump unit dry before you put the spray bottle back together. Spray 5 or 6 times away from yourself before you use the medication again to make sure you get your full dose.
Tell your prescriber if you've been around someone with chickenpox or measles. This is especially important if you haven't been vaccinated or if you haven't had these infections before. Steroids like flunisolide can weaken your immune system and make it easier for you to get sick. Your prescriber can suggest ways to help protect you from serious infection.
Frequently asked questions about Flunisolide
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What are the risks and warnings for Flunisolide?
Flunisolide can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Changes in stress hormone levels
Risk factors: Using flunisolide for a long period of time | Using too much flunisolide | Starting flunisolide after long-term treatment with steroid pills | Also taking prednisone every other day
Using the flunisolide nasal spray for long periods of time or using too much of it can cause more medication to get absorbed into the body. This medication acts like a natural stress hormone in your body called cortisol. When too much medication gets absorbed into the body, your cortisol levels can get too high. Symptoms of high cortisol levels include weight gain around your gut, fatty deposits in the face and upper back, and tiredness.
Using too much flunisolide can also cause your body to make less of its own cortisol. This can make it harder for your body to respond to physical stress. Symptoms of low cortisol levels include muscle weakness, muscle or joint pain, and loss of appetite.
Let your prescriber know if you experience any of these symptoms so you can get proper treatment. To avoid large changes in your hormone levels, it's best to use the lowest dose of flunisolide possible for the shortest amount of time.
Risk of infection
Risk factors: Long-term use of flunisolide | Untreated fungal, bacterial, or viral infection | Active or latent tuberculosis (TB) infection | Viral eye infection | Taking other medications that weaken your immune system
Flunisolide might affect your immune system's ability to fight infections. This can make it easier for you to get sick. In clinical studies, a few people who used flunisolide developed a type of fungal infection called thrush in the nose and throat. Other bacterial, fungal, and viral infections are possible, especially if you're taking other medications that can weaken your immune system.
Talk to a healthcare professional if you notice pain in the nose and throat with redness and white patches (a sign of thrush), fever, or other signs of infection while you're using the flunisolide nasal spray. You might need other treatment for the infection or have to stop using the flunisolide nasal spray.
Slowed wound healing
Risk factors: Nasal surgery | Injury to the nose | Frequent nosebleeds | Ulcers in the nose
Steroid medications like flunisolide can slow your body's ability to heal wounds. Since this medication is directly sprayed into the nose, it can affect how long it takes for wounds in the nose to get better.
Be careful using flunisolide if you've had recent surgery in your nose, have nosebleeds that keep coming back, or have a nose injury. Your prescriber might recommend that you wait until the wound heals completely before you start using flunisolide.
Delayed growth in children
Risk factors: Higher dose of flunisolide | Long-term use
Children who use steroid nasal sprays like flunisolide might have slower growth. It's not known how this slowed growth rate might affect their final adult height in the long run.
To lower the risk for slowed growth, your child's primary care provider or pediatrician will prescribe the lowest possible flunisolide dose that helps with their allergy symptoms. The healthcare professional will also keep track of your child's growth at follow-up visits. Talk to your child's primary care provider or pediatrician if you're concerned about how flunisolide might affect your child's growth.
Flunisolide dosage forms
| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25ml of 0.025% | 1 nasal spray | $24.74 | $24.74 |
Typical dosing for Flunisolide
Each spray contains 25 mcg of flunisolide.
Adults and children 15 years and older: The typical starting dose is 2 sprays in each nostril twice a day. Your primary care provider might raise the dose to 2 sprays in each nostril three times a day if you need more relief. Don't use more than 8 sprays in each nostril in a day.
Children age 6 to 14 years old: The typical starting dose is 1 spray in each nostril three times a day. Another option is 2 sprays in each nostril twice a day. Don't use more than 4 sprays in each nostril in a day.
Once your allergy symptoms get better, your prescriber will typically lower the dose to the smallest amount needed to keep your symptoms at bay. Some people might only need 1 spray in each nostril per day as a maintenance dose.
Interactions between Flunisolide and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
How much does Flunisolide cost?
What are alternatives to Flunisolide?
Nasal symptoms caused by seasonal or year-round allergies (e.g., runny nose, sneezing)
Congestion
Runny nose
Sneezing
Itchy nose
Itchy, watery eyes
Nasal symptoms caused by seasonal or year-round allergies
What is the latest news about Flunisolide?
Flunisolide images
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References
Best studies we foundBausch & Lomb Incorporated. (2025). Flunisolide solution [package insert]. DailyMed.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Symptoms of candidiasis.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2018). Symptoms & causes of adrenal insufficiency & Addison's disease.
Thau, L., et al. (2023). Physiology, cortisol. StatPearls.
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