Flunisolide Nasal Spray
Flunisolide nasal spray is a corticosteroid used to treat nasal symptoms of seasonal and perennial rhinitis (nasal allergies).
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 3 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
📖 Flunisolide Nasal Spray: Patient Information Guide
A plain-language walkthrough of Flunisolide Nasal Spray — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.
🎯What it's used for▾
Flunisolide nasal spray is a nasal corticosteroid prescribed to relieve allergy-related nasal symptoms.
- Treatment of nasal symptoms of seasonal rhinitis — allergies tied to a specific time of year, such as hay fever
- Treatment of nasal symptoms of perennial rhinitis — nasal allergies that persist year-round
- Symptoms addressed include stuffy nose, runny nose, and sneezing
⚙️How it works▾
Flunisolide is a potent corticosteroid. When sprayed into the nose, it binds to glucocorticoid receptors in the nasal lining and works directly at the site of inflammation. This local anti-inflammatory action reduces the swelling, mucus, and irritation that cause allergy symptoms. Studies confirm that its effectiveness comes from this direct local effect — not from the small amount that enters the bloodstream.
💊How it's taken▾
Flunisolide nasal spray is sprayed into each nostril, typically two to three times a day. Adults and children 6–14 years old have different recommended numbers of sprays per nostril — follow your prescriber's guidance exactly and do not exceed the maximum daily sprays stated on your label.
- Prime the pump with 5–6 sprays into the air before your first use, or after the spray has not been used for 5 or more days
- Once your symptoms are well controlled, your doctor may reduce your dose to the minimum needed to keep them in check
- Not recommended for children under 6 years of age
- If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember — but if it is nearly time for the next dose, skip the missed one and continue your regular schedule
🤒Side effects — in detail▾
Most side effects of flunisolide nasal spray involve the nose and are mild, especially early in treatment.
- Nasal burning or stinging (most common — reported in about 45% of patients, but usually does not require stopping the spray)
- Nasal irritation or congestion
- Sneezing
- Nosebleeds or bloody mucus
- Watery eyes
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
Rare but serious reactions include a perforation (hole) in the nasal septum, and temporary or permanent loss of smell or taste. Growth slowing has been reported in children using intranasal corticosteroids. Contact your doctor right away if you notice any of these.
⚠️Warnings & precautions▾
- Switching from systemic steroids: If you have used oral or systemic corticosteroids long-term and are switching to flunisolide, your adrenal glands may be suppressed. Symptoms like joint pain, extreme fatigue, and depression can signal this — your doctor should monitor you closely, especially if you have asthma.
- Immune suppression and infection risk: Corticosteroids lower your ability to fight certain infections. Chickenpox and measles can be severe or even life-threatening in people on corticosteroids who are not immune. Avoid exposure and tell your doctor immediately if you are exposed.
- Combined use with prednisone: Using flunisolide alongside alternate-day prednisone may increase adrenal suppression — use only with close medical supervision.
- Children and growth: Growth slowing has been reported with intranasal corticosteroids, including flunisolide. Pediatric patients should be monitored regularly.
- Exceeding recommended doses: Using more than the recommended amount may cause signs of too much corticosteroid in the body (hypercorticism/Cushing's syndrome), including weight gain, a round face, and easy bruising.
🔀What it interacts with▾
Flunisolide nasal spray has a limited interaction profile at recommended doses, but a few combinations deserve attention.
- Alternate-day prednisone or other systemic corticosteroids: Using flunisolide at the same time may increase suppression of the adrenal glands beyond what either drug would cause alone — use with caution and under close medical supervision.
- Immunosuppressant drugs: Any medication that already weakens the immune system can add to the infection risk seen with corticosteroids.
This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
📋Before taking it▾
- Tell your prescriber if you are allergic to flunisolide or any other ingredient in the spray.
- Tell your doctor if you have been on long-term oral or systemic steroid therapy — a careful transition plan is needed to avoid adrenal crisis.
- Tell your doctor if you have asthma — reducing systemic steroids too quickly can trigger a severe flare.
- Tell your doctor if you or your child has not had chickenpox or measles and has not been vaccinated against them.
- Tell your doctor if you take alternate-day prednisone for any condition.
- Do not use flunisolide nasal spray if there is an untreated localized infection in the nose.
- Children under 6: This spray is not recommended — safety and effectiveness have not been established.
- Children 6–14: Use the dose specified for pediatric patients and have growth monitored regularly.
🚑If you take too much▾
Because flunisolide nasal spray is used directly in the nose at low doses, a true overdose from normal use is unlikely. However, using more than the recommended number of sprays daily over time may lead to signs of too much corticosteroid activity — such as Cushing's syndrome (weight gain, round face, easy bruising). If you suspect a significant overdose or accidental ingestion, contact Poison Control or seek medical attention.
📡Pharmacodynamics — effects in the body▾
Flunisolide is a potent corticosteroid with strong glucocorticoid (anti-inflammatory) activity and very weak mineralocorticoid (salt-and-water-regulating) activity. Applied directly to the nasal lining, it reduces inflammation and relieves symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. Clinical studies found improvement is usually noticeable within a few days of starting treatment. At recommended doses, systemic (whole-body) effects are minimal, though doses far above the recommended level have been shown to suppress the body's own cortisol production.
🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it▾
After a nasal spray dose, about 50% of flunisolide reaches the bloodstream unmetabolized — higher than the 20% that would reach circulation if swallowed, because nasal absorption bypasses first-pass liver breakdown. Once in the body, flunisolide is rapidly converted by the liver into a much less active metabolite and then into compounds the body can excrete. The plasma half-life (the time for blood levels to fall by half) is 1 to 2 hours. Roughly half of the drug is eliminated in urine and half in stool.
📦How to store it▾
Store at 20º to 25ºC (68º to 77ºF); excursions permitted between 15º to 30ºC (59º to 86ºF) . KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
📄 Written from Flunisolide Nasal Spray’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →
🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Flunisolide Nasal Spray — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What exactly does flunisolide nasal spray do — will it help my allergy symptoms? ▾
My nose burns a bit after I use it. Is that normal? ▾
How do I use the spray correctly? Do I need to do anything before the first use? ▾
I've been taking oral prednisone for a while. Is it safe to switch to this spray? ▾
Can my child use this spray? ▾
Is there anything I need to watch out for with infections while using this spray? ▾
Is Flunisolide Nasal Spray available over the counter? ▾
When was Flunisolide Nasal Spray first available? ▾
Who makes Flunisolide Nasal Spray? ▾
💬 Answers drafted from Flunisolide Nasal Spray’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →
🧰 Keep exploring
💊 How Flunisolide Nasal Spray comes
Flunisolide Nasal Spray is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Nasal spray
How this form is used
- Flunisolide nasal spray is used to treat nasal symptoms of seasonal rhinitis (time-limited nasal allergies such as hay fever)
- Flunisolide nasal spray is used to treat nasal symptoms of perennial rhinitis (year-round nasal allergies)
- Flunisolide nasal spray is sprayed into each nostril; prime the pump 5–6 times before first use or after 5 or more days without use
- Flunisolide nasal spray is used two to three times daily depending on your prescriber's instructions — never exceed the maximum daily number of sprays
- Flunisolide nasal spray should not be sprayed into the eyes
- Once symptoms are controlled, your doctor may lower your dose to the smallest amount needed to keep symptoms in check
📊 Flunisolide Nasal Spray across the U.S. market
How Flunisolide Nasal Spray appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
📈 How widely Flunisolide Nasal Spray is used
A general measure of how commonly Flunisolide Nasal Spray is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Flunisolide Nasal Spray is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Flunisolide Nasal Spray prescribed? Of the 1,596 medications we measure, Flunisolide Nasal Spray ranks #964 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 40% of them.
Utilization by Flunisolide Nasal Spray product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
flunisolide 0.025 MG/ACTUAT Metered Dose Nasal Spray
Summed across the 2 of 4 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1797863
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Flunisolide Nasal Spray, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 2 of 4 listed Flunisolide Nasal Spray NDCs with Medicaid activity.
🔍 Compare Flunisolide Nasal Spray products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Flunisolide Nasal Spray — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Nasal spray | ||||
| 0.25 mg/mL | Nasal | Bausch & Lomb Incorporated × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mg/mL | Nasal | Ingenus Pharmaceuticals, LLC × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mg/mL | Nasal | Oceanside Pharmaceuticals | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 6 of 6 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 6 Flunisolide Nasal Spray NDCs →
📈 What people report — real-world data (FDA FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Flunisolide Nasal Spray — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Flunisolide Nasal Spray in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
🏛️ The road to your pharmacy
How Flunisolide Nasal Spray went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
🚨 Recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
Source: openFDA drug enforcement (recall) reports.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 25120 1 dose form · 1 strength
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Dose form (SCDF) Metered Dose Nasal Spray RxCUI 1797862In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.025 MG/ACTUATRxCUI 1797863
Look up RxCUI 25120 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
📦 Supply & shortage status
Whether Flunisolide Nasal Spray is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
🏷️ Sold under these brand names
🏭 Manufacturers & labelers
RxNorm drug class
Flunisolide Nasal Spray belongs to the Corticosteroid class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
🔬 Where this comes from
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How we combine label and product data
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 3 FDA-filed SPL label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.
Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Ingenus Pharmaceuticals, LLC is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.
This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.