Evaluation of a novel natural drop for treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps: a single blind randomized trial

Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2016 Sep;6(9):943-9. doi: 10.1002/alr.21785. Epub 2016 May 24. Vazifehkah S1, Shams-Ardekani MR2, Kamalinejad M3, Saderhossein SM4, Hosseini H5, Shams SM6, Abbassi S7, Eghtesad S8, Saedi B9. Author information 1 Department of Iranian Traditional Medicine, School of Iranian Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 3 School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 4 Department of Otolaryngology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 5 Clinical Trial Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 6 Department of Biomedical Engineering, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. 7 Department of Iranian Traditional Medicine, School of Iranian Traditional Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 8 Department of Clinical Nutrition, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 9 Department of Otolaryngology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. saedi@tums.ac.ir. Abstract BACKGROUND: The present study investigated the effectiveness of a Pimpinella anisum-based herbal medicine for treating chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) without polyps in comparison to fluticasone nasal spray, in a single-blinded randomized trial. METHODS: Patients with CRS without nasal polyps were randomly assigned into 2 treatment groups: individuals in the first group (n = 26) received 2 drops of a P. anisum-based herbal medicine (Sinupim) in each nostril every 12 hours, while those in the second group (n = 22) received 2 puffs of fluticasone nasal spray in each nostril every 12 hours. Both groups used their designated treatments for 4 weeks. Patients were evaluated by the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) at the start of the trial and after the completion of their treatment. RESULTS: Although both treatments were effective in reducing patients' symptoms, there were significantly better results in the Sinupim group based on the SNOT-22 evaluation. Mean changes in computed tomography (CT) scan scoring in Sinupim and fluticasone groups before and after treatment were 2.22 ± 2.94 and 0.76 ± 1.39, respectively, which was significant within both groups (p < 0.05). Postnasal drip and nasal obstruction were more significantly improved in the Sinupim group. CONCLUSION: A P. anisum-based herbal medicine may be an effective treatment for sinusitis without polyps. However, its wide acceptance needs further investigation. © 2016 ARS-AAOA, LLC. KEYWORDS: Pimpinella anisum; SNOT-22; clinical trial; herbal medicine; sinusitis; treatment PMID: 27218285 DOI: 10.1002/alr.21785 Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Google+