Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is rapidly increasing in global prevalence. Symptoms of AR, particularly nasal congestion, can cause quality of life (QoL) impairment. Second-generation antihistamines are a recommended first-line therapy for AR but are not viewed as very effective for the treatment of congestion. Therefore, an antihistamine plus a decongestant, such as the combination of desloratadine and pseudoephedrine, is a convenient and efficacious treatment.
Objective: To review the clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of combination desloratadine/pseudoephedrine for the treatment of AR symptoms, particularly nasal congestion.
Results: Four large studies found that improvement in nasal congestion is enhanced when patients are treated with combination desloratadine/pseudoephedrine. The combination drug significantly improved mean reflective nasal congestion scores in these studies compared with either component as monotherapy (p <or= .009 for all). These improvements in congestion were observed by day 2. Mean reductions in nasal congestion scores were comparable between the once- and twice-daily dosing regimens of the combination drug.
Conclusion: Comprehensive treatment of AR that effectively relieves nasal congestion can also improve patient QoL. Administration of the second-generation antihistamine desloratadine in combination with the decongestant pseudoephedrine may be regarded as an efficacious and convenient option for patients with AR who are particularly troubled by nasal congestion.