The anticholinergic treatment of allergic perennial rhinitis

Abstract

Anticholinergic agents have been used for nonallergic rhinitis expressly to control rhinorrhea. In allergic rhinitis, rhinorrhea can be extremely troublesome and unresponsive to traditional pharmacotherapeutic rhinitis treatments. Anticholinergic agents, through their specific ability to decrease nasal secretory response, should have beneficial effects for allergic rhinitis. In a recent trial ipratropium bromide at concentrations of 0.03% and 0.06% reduced rhinorrhea in allergic subjects without any demonstrable rebound effect. Therefore anticholinergic therapies may be a useful adjunct in controlling the rhinorrhea associated with allergic rhinitis.