Rynacrom

[felly]

Could using a Rynacrom nasal spray for 3 weeks cause anosmia? Any ENT experts out there? I would really appreciate help with this as I am worried it will never come back.

[boxtops]

what's anosmia, please?

[felly]

Sorry - loss of sense of smell.

[PringlesQueen]

Sorry felly, I am not an ENT expert, but am a pharmacist.
Rynacrom does not have anosmia listed as a side effect.
Could I ask what condition you were prescribed the Rynacrom for? The anosmia could be possibly due to your presenting condition.

[felly]

Thank you squsalminney - that's a relief. It's very complicated and would take too long to tell the whole saga. I have suffered with non-allergic rhinitis for decades and have been prescribed and regularly used nasal sprays since then. However, two or three years ago I began to suffer with post nasal drip which after looking on the internet and finding it seemed difficult to treat, I decided to live with. However over the past few months it has got much worse so that I have it almost all the time so I went back to my GP. After being prescribed several nasal sprays all of which made no difference, I was sent to a ENT consultant who prescribed the Rynacrom spray though I don't think he thought it would work. He told me of the other options including an operation which I didn't like the sound of and he wasn't keen to do. However since I saw him I have completely lost my sense of smell and was worried that it could be the Rynacrom.

[PringlesQueen]

Thank you for you history felly.
Unfortunately, anosmia can be caused by non-allergic rhinitis. So this enforces my suspicions that it is not the Rynacrom causing the problem.
With any luck a fellow AB member by the name of Sqad will see this post and comment. Sqad I believe was an ENT consultant.

[felly]

Thanks again squsalminney. I was thinking that too but it seems strange that my sense of smell has so suddenly disappeared - it would seem more logical if it had diminished gradually. I was actually hoping Sqad would answer but didn't know his field was ENT so it would be good to hear his views. Thanks again.

[PringlesQueen]

No problem felly

[boxtops]

He's usually here in the morning, felly, after he's had breakfast ;-)

[felly]

Oh good - will have a look tomorrow then. Thanks.

[Sqad]

I agree entirely with squalminney.......this is anosmia, secondary to your vasomotor rhinits and is nothing to do with the Rynacrom.

Difficult to treat and whether you recover your smell is "in the lap of the Gods"....sorry.

I don't know what job you do, but have you been exposed to fumes?

[felly]

Hello sqad. Thanks for your reply. I have suffered from rhinitis for over 30 years. I retired a couple of years ago but for the last 10 years of my working life, I worked for 10 hours a week as a Radiography Assistant at the local community hospital. I worked in the room where the processor was situated and it did emit fumes but we were given to understand these were not dangerous. I also suffer from asthma which is totally controlled by medication and once had a test at the hospital to see if this had been affected but the result was OK. What I can't understand is how my sense of smell could disappear so suddenly. I had been testing aftershave smells only a couple of weeks before I realised it had completely gone.

[Sqad]

felly....this often happens........it may well have been a viral problem affecting the olfactory nerves, in which case.....as I said, recovery is in the "lap of the Gods" and the Rynocrom OR vasomotor rhinitis innocent of the condition.

[felly]

OK thanks Sqad. Will just have to keep my fingers crossed then :)