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A member asked:

Had a bad cold and used afrin (oxymetazoline).. on 5th day now. only needed it once today unlike other days. is it ok to still use tomorrow since i'm needing it less?

A doctor has provided 1 answer

No: Stop the afrin immediately or you will develop rebound and rhinitis medicamentosa, a fancy name that will make your nose worse and breathing worse. Otc nasal sprays should only be used for 3 days. The cause of you nasal obstruction is usually a viral infection and saline irrigations are much more physiological and safer.

Answered 9/4/2016

4.2k views

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Related Questions

A member asked:

I still get a stuffy nose , I have used flonase, sudafed, claritin, saline spray, I have been off afrin (oxymetazoline) for over a month now, what else can I do?

A doctor has provided 1 answer

A member asked:

I get severely congested only at night and the only thing that helps is afrin (oxymetazoline) which can only be used for 3 days and the cold 60 and under. Cause?

A doctor has provided 1 answer

A member asked:

My nose has been clogged up for 2 days now and i finally used a oxymetazoline nasal spray but it was expired should i be worried?

A doctor has provided 1 answer

A member asked:

Does Afrin (oxymetazoline) slow down the recovery of a cold? Assuming one takes the recommended 3 day usage, and no more.

A doctor has provided 1 answer

A member asked:

I use oxymetazoline based decongestants for over a decade every single day. When I stop my nose gets blocked bad. I have a horrible headache as well.

3 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

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