Expert: Kathleen MacNaughton - 9/6/2008

Question
I have year round allergies and nasal polyps due to recurrent sinusitis. I have been taking claritin for my allergies and is has helped a bit, but I'm still waking up in the middle of the night with an unbelievably stuffed up nose. I would take claritin D, but I often have insomnia and have read that the "D" is not what you want to be taking if you do.
I bought nasalcrom a couple days ago. I researched it a bit online and it seems as if it's very helpful for allergic stuffy nose. I was just wondering if nasalcrom is safe to take year round (that is assuming it works for me).

Thank you so very much for your time. I really appreciate it.

Best regards,
Kelly

Answer
Hi Kelly,

This was a good question. You made a good choice in not taking Claritin D if you have insomnia. I never have any problems sleeping, but Claritin D kept me up for 3 days until I finally realized what the problem was!

As far as Nasalcrom goes, my answer is I'm not sure. It should definitely help you find some relief from all your allergy symptoms, including stuffiness, but it may take a couple of weeks before you get full relief. It's to be used more in a preventive fashion, rather than to treat today's symptoms, if that makes sense.

I'm not sure, though, how long you can safely take it. I saw several references to contacting your doctor after 12 weeks if you still needed it, which makes it sound as though it's more for seasonal allergies rather than year round ones. However, this page on WebMD indicates it can be used for year-round allergies:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DR600481

To be absolutely sure, you might want to call your local pharmacist and/or your personal physician. One caveat too, the WebMD article says it may not work for people with nasal polyps. Still probably worth a try, though.

To your health,
Kathi