This stuff changed my life. April, May, June, and July used to be horror-months for me. My nose was 100% plugged in both nostrils, I would get occasional runniness, and I was just miserable. I was so desperate to find something that helped, that I got medically addicted to Afrin, because I used it every day for 4 months. That was also an awful experience. My nose refused to work without Afrin every four hours. HORRIBLE. My doctor suggested Flonase, and my life has been forever changed. I start using this around February every year, and by the time allergy season comes around, I’m good to go. For the first month, I’ll do 2 squirts in each nostril, then I’ll move down to 1 squirt per nostril. It works every year. I experience NONE of the same symptoms that I used to experience. It’s absolutely amazing. If you suffer from allergy-related nose stuffiness and/or runniness, please give this a try. And please know that it’s nothing like Afrin. You need to start using it a few months before your symptoms usually begin - it’s more of a preventative measure, not an instant relief. It worked wonders for me. Read more

I've been using Flonase for ages and was delighted when it became available over the counter (the price with co-pay was about comparable for me). I have incredibly annoying allergies to basically every harmless substance you can think of -- dust mites, sweet gum pollen, grass pollen, tree pollen, cat dander, dog dander ... the list goes on. And on. And onnnnnn. The only things that have ever allowed me to really breathe freely through my nose are oxymetazoline (the cheap, "addictive" nasal spray that you're not supposed to take for more than three days), full-strength psuedoephedrine (which is expensive, hard to procure, and doesn't play nicely with my Adderall), and levocetirizine (the metabolite of cetirizine, which does bad things to my mood, makes me have wacko dreams, and completely unhinges my appetite). Flonase, meanwhile (or its generic equivalent, not yet available OTC), gets me pretty close to normal nasal airflow without all the crazy side-effects. It also, as advertised, takes care of the maddening itching of my nose and eyes, and keeps my pharynx a lot less inflamed, which in and of itself is a huge deal. It also mostly prevents sinus headaches and keeps my sinuses from getting congested, staying that way for weeks, and incubating happy bacterial infections. On the worst days, I still have to back it up with phenylephrine or something similar in order to really breathe through my nose well enough to get through a demanding ballet class or a long, fast hill climb on the bike. However, as a general rule, fluticasone helps keep my life tolerable. It's worth noting that biochemistry can be pretty specific, and different medications may work better for different people -- so your end result may be different from mine. Still, for those of us who live with unyielding congestion, fluticasone seems like a pretty reliable option, and well worth a try (after checking with appropriate medical-care providers, of course). Read more

Best solution I've found, by far, and I've tried a LOT. This is the first time in years I haven't had to take at least one Cetirizine (Zyrtec) every single day, and I often took 2 or more in a day. My allergies (and/or like non-allergic rhinitis) were minor most of the time, but they were constant. And at least a few times a year, they would flare up severely: I would have to take combinations multiple doses of multiple antihistamines every day for several days or more- I'm talking 3 cetirizine, 2 diphenhydramine, and couple chlorpheniramine maleate.. Sometimes even more than this, and sometimes I even had to resort to Prednisone. This sounds like an insane amount of drugs to take, but that's what it took for me to function. I also tried various nasal sprays, both prescription and non (Astelin, Nasalcrom, and prescription steroid sprays that I can't remember). I've only been using Flonase for about 2 months at this point (on my second bottle, and I stretched the first one out long past its labeled doses), but so far I've almost completely stopped taking zyrtec or any other antihistamine. I can't remember the last time I took any, but probably have a few times since I started Flonase. These are dramatic results for me. I know steroid sprays aren't without side effects, but being free from taking systemic antihistamines is huge for me, and my liver and body will probably thank me in ways I don't even realize.. Who knows how well this solution will work long term, but for now this stuff is remarkable, and worth it's weight in gold. Read more

I have used Flonase for years to control my allergy symptoms. When taken every day, the Flonase had completely eliminated my symptoms of sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes. After Flonase went over the counter my insurance provider stopped paying for the prescriptions that I was getting. When I used up the last of the three month supply I had on hand, I decided to do a trial "off" the medication to see if I still needed it. Within several days my symptoms started to return and progressively worsen. I ordered more Flonase from Amazon and within a week and a half, I was back to my old symptom free self. Important things to know: 1. You need to use this daily to get benefit from it, you shouldn't use it only on the days you have symptoms. 2. It takes about one week to start working and 2 weeks to get to maximum effect. 3. It has an artificial floral scent, that is not unpleasant to me, but if you are sensitive to such things avoid this brand. Ask your doctor if Flonase is right for you! (It sounded so much like an ad, I thought I should add this here as a joke! They are not paying me for this recommendation!) Read more

As a physician, I've offered this to my patients for years and have gotten good feedback. Now, I've used it my self and I'm very pleased with the results. I recently moved back to Houston, TX and I've noticed that the pollen here has really been affecting me. I would get the classic symptoms of sneezing, scratchy throat, runny nose, and itchy eyes. It got to the point where I had to take Zyrtec every single day. Of course, I always prefer to not be on medications every single day but this was a case where the benefits outweighed the risks because without treatment I felt quite miserable. The Zyrtec (anti-histamine) was working well but I didn't like the idea of being on an anti-histamine for prolonged periods of time. Although it is generally considered safe to be on continuous anti-histamines, histamine is an important chemical signaler in the human body and has a wide array of functions. Therefore, I suspect there could be a possibility of unwanted effects with prolonged anti-histamines. There are a few studies that showed small amounts of weight gain in males who used prolonged anti-histamines; though this should be taken with a grain of salt as it is too early to make big speculations from these studies and there could have been confounding factors. Still, I wanted the ability to at least alternate between anti allergy therapies so that I would not have to be on a particular one for prolonged periods of time. Therefore, I ordered some flonase and tried it for my self. I have been using it as the manufacturer recommends with 2 puffs per nostril per day for 1 week, then 1 puff per nostril per day. I am happy to report that I have had very effective control of allergy symptoms with Flonase starting from Day 2 (day 1 I also took Zyrtec as a bridge). It works just as well as the anti-histamines have worked for me. Even the effects of dust and cat dander have been controlled well by using Flonase. Of course, this is a steroid therefore there is a possibility of reduced immune function in the area of prolonged exposure. It is rare, but in some individuals they can develop an opportunistic candidal (fungal) infection on the the back of the mouth similar to what rarely happens to asthmatics who inhale nebulized steroids for prolonged periods of time. If that were to happen, that is easily treated with antifungal mouthwash. Again, this is a rare adverse affect but as a doctor I feel it should be mention it still. My personal plan is to alternate between therapies. Likely, I'll use Flonase for 2 months then Zyrtec for 2 months then switch back again. There are no studies behind this method but it is what I will personally do. I have recommended Flonase in the past to my patients based on clinical trials and patient feedback, and now I can recommend it based on my own personal use. Pros: - Effective control of allergy symptoms when taken regularly - Does not put an overly unpleasant taste into nasopharynx/oropharynx (back of mouth) Cons (relative): - Has to be taken every day Read more