Ipratropium nasal spray: a new treatment for rhinorrhea in the common cold

A need is often present for symptomatic treatment of the common cold. A blocked nose can be opened by a vasoconstrictor, but no effective therapy is known today for rhinorrhea. The aim of the present trial was to study the effect of the topically active parasympatholytic, ipratropium, on rhinorrhea. In a placebo-controlled group comparative trial, 80 micrograms of ipratropium were taken as a nasal spray 4 times daily for 1 wk by 40 adults with spontaneously occurring common colds. All subjects administered an intranasal vasoconstrictor (xylomethazoline, 0.1%) 5 min before administering placebo or ipratropium. Ipratropium treatment resulted in a significant reduction in nasal discharge compared with that of placebo treatment during the whole treatment period (p less than 0.001), but the drug was especially effective the first 3 days, when the watery secretion was predominant. It was concluded that this new spray can be of value in the first days of a cold, when nasal discharge is a nuisance.