Nasalcrom Allergy Prevention Nasal Spray .88 Fl oz Review

To say I have allergies is an understatement. The first time I had allergy testing done, I reacted to 95 of the 96 allergens for which they tested me. I even tested positive for cockroaches. Imagine that. Guess that was from living in a large dorm that resembled a roach motel back in my college days.

When my allergist recommended that I try Nasalcrom when pregnant, I had my doubts. I tend to avoid almost every medication I can when pregnant; however, I knew that when my allergies flared, I often developed sinusitis and then ended up on antibiotics.

If you are considering using this product, do the safest thing and ask your healthcare provider.

So I decided to give Nasalcrom a try. When I read on the package that it was safe for ages two and older, I figured it would work about as well as saline. (Which, to be honest, saline nasal lavage works better than one would think, but unfortunately my sinuses were so swollen at that point that I could not get a saline lavage to work.)

I was pleasantly surprised! The Nasalcrom actually improved my swollen sinuses within a few hours and opened my sinuses completely within a couple of days. I avoided a sinus infection and those dreaded antibiotics! It took some diligence on my part though. I used this product four times a day as my allergist recommended, but the package says it may be used up to six times a day. The size I purchase has 200 metered sprays, but when you use eight or more sprays a day, it does not last a long as one would think. I recommend writing the start date directly on the bottle because it's difficult to tell when the bottle is empty.

The manufacturer recommends avoiding blowing one's nose after using the spray for 15 minutes after spraying for obvious reasons. At this point, there are no known drug interactions with this product, which is not true of some other nasal sprays. It is not a steroid and has very few reported side effects. More common side effects are stinging or sneezing right after use. I experience a mild stinging when I use Nasalcrom.

The manufacturer recommends starting Nasalcrom one week before your allergy season begins for best results. My allergy season is unfortunately twelve months of the year because I have allergies to indoor things like dust and mold in addition to outdoor allergens, so I just have to watch for early warning signs that my allergies are beginning to flare. It has helped me to prevent sinusitis more than once.

Nasalcrom has not cured my allergies and I did not stop taking my allergy shots after starting this product. To do so would be like riding through a car wash in a convertible with the top down. I could do it, but I'd probably really regret it later!

My Viewpoint:

If you suffer from allergies and are looking for non-steroidal relief of a stuffy or runny nose, consider Nasalcrom. It's over-the-counter, cheaper than a lot of the steroidal nasal sprays (although not as cheap as saline) and can provide symptom relief pretty quickly.