Allergy Relief Can Come Cheaply

MONDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to allergy-linked congestion, an over-the-counter drug may clear up your nose without emptying your wallet, researchers report.

A new study finds that Sudafed 24 Hour, a decongestant available on most drugstore shelves, is as effective at relieving hay fever symptoms as Singulair, a prescription drug that costs almost four times as much.

Researchers at the University of Chicago conducted their study of 58 adults with hay fever during ragweed season. Thirty of the adults took 10 milligrams a day of the prescription decongestant montelukast sodium (Singulair), while the other 28 took 240 miiligrams a day of the decongestant pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (Sudafed 24 Hour).

Pseudoephedrine costs about 80 cents a day, while montelukast costs about $3.20 a day.

As reported in the February issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Sudafed was as effective as the prescription medication in relieving hay fever symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing and itching. The cheaper drug was also as effective at improving quality of life for hay fever patients, without causing any additional side effects.

"This came as a genuine surprise," study director Dr. Fuad Baroody, an associate professor of surgery, said in a prepared statement. "Our hypothesis was that montelukast would have additional benefits and pseudoephedrine would interfere with sleep, but when we compared them head-to-head we found that for treatment of allergic rhinitis, these drugs at these doses were virtually identical."

The study was funded in part by a grant from Merck & Co., the maker of Singulair.