Phenylpropanolamine's decongestive effect on the nasalmucosa of pregnant women with nasal stuffiness

Abstract

Pregnancy rhinitis is common and very troublesome for many women. Today, no safe and effective treatment is available for this condition. The aim of this placebo-controlled double-blind study was to evaluate the decongestive effect of phenylpropanolamine (PPA 50 mg) twice daily for seven days in 38 women with pregnancy rhinitis. In the morning, before starting the course of treatment, and two to three hours after taking the last dose of the study-medicine in the morning on the eighth day, recordings of the position of the nasal mucosal surface were made with rhinostereometry. Every evening, the women filled in a questionnaire about their symptoms on a scale from 0-9 (0 = no symptoms, 9 = extremely severe symptoms). The effects of the drug on their blood pressure and other side-effects were also determined. The patients used a newly-evaluated telephone method to assess their daily symptoms. PPA 50 mg had a decongestive effect on the nasal mucosa, as measured with symptom scores and rhinostereometry. In the placebo group, this effect was found with rhinostereometry, but not on nasal stuffiness as judged by the symptom scores. The reason why the placebo group also experienced a decongestive effect after treatment may have been due to stress because the patients were in a hurry and such stress may have a decongestive effect on the nasal mucosa. No effects on the blood pressure or other side-effects were detected. In conclusion, this study shows that PPA 50 mg twice daily may be an effective and safe treatment in pregnancy rhinitis.