Astelin Side Effects: An Introduction
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with
Astelin® (
azelastine hydrochloride). However, not everyone who takes the drug will have problems. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Astelin. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Astelin side effects with you.)
Common Side Effects of Astelin
Astelin has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials, in which the side effects of a group of people taking the drug are documented and compared to another group not taking the medicine.
As a result, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
In these studies, the most common side effects of Astelin included:
- Bitter taste -- in up to 19.7 percent of people
- Headaches -- up to 14.8 percent
- Drowsiness -- up to 11.5 percent
- Nasal burning or other unusual sensations -- up to 7.9 percent
- Runny nose -- up to 5.6 percent
- Sore throat -- up to 3.8 percent
- Nosebleeds -- up to 3.2 percent
- Sinus infections -- up to 3.2 percent.
Other common side effects, occurring in 2 to 3 percent of people, included:
