Ibuprofen Helps Relieve Allergic Rhinitis

Researchers have found that adding low-dose ibuprofen to the usual allergy relief treatment of chlorpheniramine and pseudoephedrine improves relief from seasonal allergic rhinitis. The findings from the 7-day trial were presented recently at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting.

For the study, the investigators randomized patients to a placebo or to treatment in a double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group fashion. The participants had at least a 2-year history of seasonal allergic rhinitis. The first group (n = 265) received a triple combination of ibuprofen, pseudoephedrine, and chlorpheniramine. In the first arm of the triple combination group, participants received 200 mg ibuprofen, 30 mg pseudoephedrine, and 2 mg chlorpheniramine. Participants in the second arm received 400 mg ibuprofen, 60 mg pseudoephedrine, and 4 mg chlorpheniramine. The second group (n = 266) received 30 mg pseudoephedrine and 2 mg chlorpheniramine without ibuprofen. The third group (n = 257) received a placebo.

The participants were asked to assess 6 allergy-associated symptoms on a 4-point severity scale with assessments made every other day. The results showed that, in both arms of group 1, pain was decreased 40% more, compared with the placebo group, and 33% more in the pseudoephedrinechlorpheniramine group. When ibuprofen was added to chlorpheniramine and pseudoephedrine, the researchers saw an increase in pain relief that ranged from 33% to 34%. The increases in other allergy symptoms ranged from 19% to 22%, compared with the standard combination.