Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis: A Comparative Study of Traditional Antihistamine oral Rupatidine Versus Oral Rupatidine with a Lipid Based Nasal Ointment.

Allergic rhinitis is a common and debilitating disease that has a major effect on the health related quality of life. The usage of corticosteroids topically and newer generation antihistamines have been the hallmark of recent advances in treatment of allergic rhinitis. Hence this study was taken to clinically evaluate the efficacy of lipid-based ointment and traditional antihistamine Rupatidine in treatment of moderate persistent allergic rhinitis. This study was designed to compare the efficacy of lipid-based ointment and traditional antihistamine in the treatment of moderate persistent allergic rhinitis. 60 Patients aged between 15 and 70 years with moderate to severe symptoms of allergic rhinitis were chosen after history taking, clinical examination and relevant lab investigations-nasal smear examination and serum IgE levels in specific. They were randomized into two groups and started on either lipid based ointment (to apply ointment to nasal vestibule twice daily) with tablet Rupaditine 10 mg OD and only tablet Rupatidine 10 mg OD alone. Patients were asked to observe the efficacy of their treatment on daily basis. Mean age of patients in lipid based ointment group with tablet Rupatidine was 33.53 years and only tablet Rupatidine group was 28.9 years. Positive family history was present in 13.3 % patients in group I with 26.6 % patients in group II. Symptoms score decreased from baseline in group I as compared to group II. Lipid based ointment with tablet Rupatidine is superior in relieving moderate allergic rhinitis compared to tablet Rupatidine alone.