If you have nasal allergies that just won't quit, you know how exhausting that can be. A new review looked at whether Botox shots could help people with stubborn allergic rhinitis. The review combined data from studies on 187 patients with refractory allergic rhinitis, comparing botulinum toxin type A injections to steroid shots and the pill cetirizine.
The main finding was that Botox improved total nasal symptom scores at 4 weeks and 12 weeks. It also helped with runny nose, sneezing, and itchiness at 4 weeks. When compared directly, Botox worked about the same as steroid injections and cetirizine pills for overall symptom scores.
The review did not report on side effects or how many people stopped treatment. It also did not report on quality of life changes. Because this is a review of existing studies, the results depend on how those studies were done.