Azelastine nasal spray which previously was available only as a prescription (Astelin) is now available to purchase over-the-counter (OTC). Currently, the only one that is present OTC is called Astepro. Eventually, other generic brands should eventually become available.
Azelastine nasal spray is a steroid-free anti-histamine nasal spray and is completely different from other allergy nasal sprays like flonase and nasacort which are steroid nasal sprays.
Think of azelastine nasal spray as zyrtec or claritin, but in a nasal spray form.
Both adult and pediatric versions are available. However, they are identical with the exact same active ingredient. Adult dosing is 1-2 sprays 1-2x per day whereas for kids older than 6 years, it is 1 spray 1-2x per day.
Compared to the steroid nasal sprays, azelastine nasal sprays do have a more significant unpleasant after-taste which makes its use in children more problematic. For those individuals with severe sino-nasal allergy symptoms, using both a steroid and anti-histamine nasal spray may provide greater relief than either medication by itself.
For more info on allergy medications, click here. To see what combination of allergy meds would work for a given constellation of symptoms, check this webpage out.
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