Started Azelastine three days ago.
Liked it until today. I slept well, but I am tired and drowzy.
This is too much like the early antihistamines that caused me to miss
too much of my childhood.

I use Azelastine with no problems for my nonallergic rhinitis and enlarged turbinates. Have also used Flonase.

A few years ago a new combination drug came out that worked better than either one, but it was super expensive. I discovered that rather than taking two squirts of each per nostril, one of each worked the same as the new medicine (Duh! Because it's just self compounding of the combo-drug.)

I see Azelastine can cause a number of side effects (never checked before) including paroxysmal sneezing - relief in sight!

Since Flonase is a nasal steroid, it might work better for you since it doesn't cause drowsiness. (but I bet you've already tried it - depending on what you take it for).

I see Azelastine is often prescribed morning and night. I only take it at night anyhow, when I NEED drowsiness aids.

I've been using it for a month now. It doesn't seem to have any effect on my alertness.

I hear you on the old antihistamines. I took Allerest and Teldrin (Chlorpheniramine) as a kid and I've taken a lot of Benadryl in my life. I slept through a lot of my childhood.

I keep going back to Flonase (OTC) and Nasonex (prescription). Might not work for everyone, but in my case they’re a Godsend.

I use Flonase around the same time as the Azelastine. Not at the same time because
the Flonase makes me blow my nose afterward.

Flonase, Zertec. Generic. The brand names are $$.

Careful with the Flonase, though. It can cause loss of sense of smell, and from the one case I know, it doesn’t come back when you stop using Flonase.

quote:

Originally posted by AdagioM:
Careful with the Flonase, though. It can cause loss of sense of smell, and from the one case I know, it doesn’t come back when you stop using Flonase.

quote:

Originally posted by AdagioM:
Careful with the Flonase, though. It can cause loss of sense of smell, and from the one case I know, it doesn’t come back when you stop using Flonase.

Now that IS scary, though I'm afraid the horse is already out of the barn for me.

I've been noticing my sense of smell has been getting worse for a while now and I guess the Flonase is the cause.

The only other possible cause (which has been quite worrying me) might be cognitive decline. Have others of you heard that the cheapest/easiest pre-Alzheimer's check is "the peanut butter test"? Reported to be surprisingly accurate.

That is, when people, older in particular, fail to be as sensitive as previously to peanut butter held to the nose, it's highly correlated with early Alzheimer's.

FWIW the olfactory nerves are connected very deep in the brain and tied with other brain function. Not surprising therefore that changes in that sense accompanies other brain functions (including, especially in other mammals, with sexual arousal).

Being a real foodie, I hate losing sensitivity to smell, but I'd far rather it be from Flonase than Alzheimer's. (Don't think occasional use of Metholatum or Vicks are helping either - not counting nasal decongestant sprays. For a while I was really addicted to them in the sense of "rebound congestion" - was VERY hard to stop using them.)