Treatment of vasomotor rhinitis with intranasal beclomethasone dipropionate (Becotide). Results from a double-blind cross-over study.

Abstract

The effect of beclomethasone dipropionate (Becotide) intranasally in vasomotor rhinitis has been studied on 39 adult volunteers in a double-blind cross-over study during 9 weeks in February-April 1975. The dose of beclomethasone dipropionate was 300 mug/day. Twenty-five patients preferred the beclomethasone dipropionate period, 5 patients the placebo period, and 9 patients had no preference. About three-quarters (74 per cent) of the patients considered themselves free of symptoms or greatly improved after the treatment with beclomethasone dipropionate. Statistical calculation of the daily nasal symptoms score confirms the improvement. The speediest effect was registered for sneezing, followed by nasal catarrh, nasal itching, and blocking. No changes in the levels of cortisol occurred during the treatment. The bacteriological and mycological findings (analysed with regard to Candida albicans) were fairly constant.