What is Azelastine?
Category: Prescription Drugs
Most popular types: Astelin Astepro Optivar Show all
See also: Dymista
Azelastine is an antihistamine and mast cell stabilizer. As a nasal spray it is used to relieve seasonal allergies. As an ophthalmic preparation it is used to treat itching of the eye associated with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allergic rhinitis | 101 | 24 | |
| Seasonal allergy | 94 | 23 | |
| Non-allergic rhinitis | 26 | 7 | |
| Sinus infection (sinusitis) | 4 | 0 | |
| General health | 3 | 1 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 6 | |
| Moderate | 20 | |
| Mild | 17 | |
| None | 36 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Azelastine
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Bad taste in mouth | 6 | |
| Bitter taste | 4 | |
| Nosebleeds (epistaxis) | 4 | |
| Gastroesophageal reflux disease | 2 | |
| Burning sensation | 1 | |
| Burning sensation in sinuses | 1 |
Why patients stopped taking Azelastine
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Did not seem to work | 15 | |
| Other | 9 | |
| Course of treatment ended | 8 | |
| Side effects too severe | 7 | |
| Doctor's advice | 6 | |
| Expense | 5 | |
| Change in health plan coverage | 2 | |
| Personal research | 2 |
Duration
Stopped taking Azelastine
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 7 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 11 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 7 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 4 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 7 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 6 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking Azelastine after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Fluticasone nasal spray (Flonase Nasal Spray) | 5 | |
| Desloratadine (Clarinex) | 1 | |
| Fexofenadine (Allegra) | 1 | |
| Fluticasone (Flovent) | 1 | |
| Loratadine (Claritin) | 1 |
Patients stopped taking Azelastine and switched to:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Desloratadine (Clarinex) | 1 | |
| Fexofenadine (Allegra) | 1 | |
| Formoterol-mometasone (Dulera) | 1 | |
| Ipratropium (Ipratropium Inhalant) | 1 | |
| Mirtazapine (Remeron) | 1 |
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