Afrin for Nasal Congestion User Reviews (Page 2)

• Sli...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 6, 2018

"So I had a cold and my nose was congested, I bought Afrin. While it helped me breathe, it also caused me a terrible rebound congestion (like a physical addiction). After the cold was over, I still needed to use Afrin in order to breathe. It also somehow caused me to have more nasal discharge. I had to ask someone to send me different nose spray/drops from Russia. I used that and there was less nasal discharge, and I didn’t have to use it as much. Unfortunately, I ran out of it two days ago and had to buy Afrin again, and AGAIN my nose is soooo runny and so congested after an hour of using Afrin. I have contacted Afrin, the customer service is extremely rude. I mean, this honestly ruined my life. Imagine needing to use Afrin in order to breathe? Don’t get it!"

• Bob...
• April 16, 2019

"3 of the last 5 containers of Afrin I purchased would not open! This over a one-year period, so Afrin is refusing to rectify the packaging defect. I will never purchase Afrin. How stupid can a company be?"

• Jim...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 1, 2019

"First of all, I've been using Afrin for 7 years. It works, yes, and I have the most severe sinus pressure you can think of. I'm told that I should get off of it, but there's no other product that opens my sinuses like Afrin. It definitely doesn't last for 12 hours, though. I've always had abnormally strong hands because I lift granite and bodybuild, so the cap has never given me problems. All I can say to everyone else is, strengthen your hands."

• jGa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 8, 2018

"Never, never take this medication. I repeat, never. This medication put me in a worse position than I was before. I decided to take this because all of the pills weren’t working, but it does not help. Afrin says to put 2 squirts in each nostril every 10-12 hours. However, when doing that, it creates a horrible burning sensation in your nose and specifically your throat that lasts for hours. If you want to be congested and burning for hours, take this."

• Ner...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 2, 2022

"PROS: It cleared up my nasal congestion after 5 days of not being able to breathe normally, and that was HEAVEN. CONS: It made my entire body tremor, my hands and feet sweat, and my heart rate sit at 130+. When awoken from my sleep with these symptoms, it felt very counterproductive, seeing as I couldn’t fall back asleep feeling that nervous and shaky. I guess, luckily, I could breathe though. I do not have high blood pressure or any other diagnosed heart condition. Maybe I’ve just got a sensitive autonomic system that did not like that 'adrenaline dump' right before bed. Afrin works as a vasoconstrictor, and that can come with these above-listed side effects. Lesson learned."

• Chi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 12, 2018

"Be careful when you use it. I tried using the product right before sleeping to breathe easier at night, and it caused me terrible insomnia both nights I used it. It also caused an increased discharge out of my sinuses. I guess it might have been a good experience if I used it for daytime."

• Son...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 22, 2024

"For those that have issues with the cap, try the generic version. I have used it for years off-label to help me with my sleep apnea since I can't use a CPAP. I only use it once a night before bedtime, and that, along with two pillows, works like a charm. I do have a bit of congestion once it wears off, but a small price to pay for the ability to sleep safely without apnea attacks. And yes, my physicians have been aware of this."

• Com...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 13, 2019

"Afrin really needs to change the caps on their nasal spray. I am in a conference room with at least a dozen people, and no one could get this bottle open. We tried everything recommended, and all we get is that dreadful click. Finally, after over a half hour, I finally managed to get it open. I don't know what did it, but it is fine now. Terrible design and beyond frustrating. I should have videoed the whole process so that people could laugh at us trying to open this stupid bottle."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2022

"Allow me to add my voice to the choir who is absolutely maddened by the most idiotic, pointlessly difficult packaging I've ever used. I mean... I couldn't even get the packaging open. Afrin, get your head out of the clouds and actually use packaging that wasn't created by a drunk monkey. Then maybe I'll give you an honest assessment of your product."

• Bob...
• March 30, 2017

"Picture this. You have a new bottle of Afrin in the medicine cabinet. It's 2:00 AM, and you have a stuffy nose. You wake up and go open the Afrin package to find that it is VERY tightly sealed. So, you use some nearby scissors to cut the tape, and instead, you cut yourself. After a few minutes and some blood on your hands, you manage to get the tape off only to find a complex system for the nozzle of the bottle. Still half asleep, you try and get it to work but fail. You miss the old Vicks spray that had a very simple nozzle, throw away the Afrin, and then vow to yourself to remember the name 'Afrin' so that you never buy the product again. You wonder if a lawyer was responsible for human factors design for Afrin, then try to go back to sleep."

• raq...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2018

"I've NEVER had the problem of getting a 'child-proof cap' off. It WAS fine...and now will not come off, no matter what I do. Will definitely buy a different brand from now on. This is the type of experience and FRUSTRATION that one does NOT FORGET!"

• Cam...
• December 31, 2016

"What have they done?! They used a very cheap manufactured plastic bottle which can't be opened and used until drilling a hole into it, which leads to wasting half the liquid. Secondly, its use makes your congestion worse, completely blocked after its temporary effect is gone. You end up having no choice but to become addicted to its use. Never recommend it to anyone."

• Not...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 25, 2016

"This childproof cap is not operable. I followed your instructions and wound up cutting the damn cap off. The good news for you is a child won't ingest your product, and you won't get sued. The bad news is a pissed-off adult might cut their hand with a knife and switch products. Good job product safety!!!"

• PCM...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2018

"Product may be great, but it's worthless if you can't open the bottle to use it. Horrific container design. Based on countless reviews and videos, this should have prompted product changes by now. Generic brand works just as well and doesn't waste valuable life trying to open the cap."

• Mar...
• January 18, 2017

"Medication works great for nasal congestion. Now, trying to take off the lid is a different story, I almost returned it. After 3 minutes, a fellow coworker finally got the lid off. I understand childproofing, but this is ridiculous!"

• OCo...
• December 29, 2016

"Twice now - more fool me - I have bought the original nasal spray and had the top take everything off when I opened it, rendering the product useless. It's annoying you can't rely on what was once a strong brand."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 9, 2024

"I have used Afrin nasal spray for many years but only at short intervals. I only use this when nasal saline doesn't work for me. Afrin shrinks the membranes, and I can breathe again. I have had a rapid heartbeat and skipped beats on occasion. Also, it exacerbates my hypertension at times. It worked well for me."

• Neb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 26, 2017

"I bought two of these because there were two of us in the household who had bad colds. We could not get the caps off. And, no, we are not morons. We don't struggle with child-proof caps in general. We did follow the instructions. We also looked online and tried various suggestions. When you push down on the cap, the plastic neck gives way and recedes into the bottle. We even tried pliers to get a better grip. It didn't work. The old-style bottles worked, but not the new ones. So, don't waste your money!"

• Old...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2017

"A friend of mine mentioned that this product will cause dependency. Even with that in mind, my symptoms still led me to purchase it nonetheless. The good news is I'm not addicted to it nor dependent upon it because I can't open it. This is the first and last time I will buy this product, whether they change the cap mechanism or not."

• Ash...
• January 21, 2019

"Maybe check your products before you send them out? The product I bought, I guess, is defective because it will NOT open. Obviously, push down and turn counterclockwise-easy enough? Apparently, not for Afrin to figure out. I’ve tried getting the nasal spray to open, and the other 2 members of my household have tried as well. First time and last time buying anything from this brand. Now I have to take an extra trip to the store while sick and in the aftermath of a blizzard. Ridiculously frustrating."

• Wen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 21, 2022

"I love Afrin. It’s the best for nasal congestion, however, the new cap is impossible to open. I am forced to change brands, although I wish that I didn’t have to. I have a full bottle that I can’t use."

• Har...
• November 17, 2018

"The cap on the bottle is ridiculous. Can't get it off! Finally got it off after 15 minutes. Ended up using pliers. Also, the spray gave me a horrendous headache and did very little for congestion. I will never waste my money on this product again!"

• unh...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 16, 2018

"I have been using Afrin Original nose spray for many years. It's the only one I will use. I have never had a problem getting the cap off until recently. I now, for the life of me, cannot get it open. I have two that won't open. The cap will not come off. Remember, folks, I have been using this product for years and love it. I have never had a problem before. But something has changed with the cap that has made it impossible to get open. And, it's not just the plastic wrapper around the top. I am glad to hear some people on this review have had the same problem so I know it's not just me. I hope Afrin folks are reading these comments and can come up with a solution. I would give this a rating of 10 if only I could still use it..."

• Eri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2022

"Nothing I have used reduces sinus swelling faster! But I'm rating it a '1' out of 10 because I thought I was going to die on day five with how much worse my swelling was. Right, you are not supposed to use it for more than three days: and the doctor at urgent care said not to use it more than two days and certainly not more than once every 12 hours. This is because, he said, each time you use it, your blood vessels will be a little larger when it wears off. And this is what makes you an addict. I will never use this product again unless I'm doing a presentation or a court appearance. I'd recommend the product for a one or two-time use -- and I'd give it a 10. But once you are on it, even after your cold is long gone, you can't give it up without misery, severe dry mouth (since you will not be breathing through your nose), and the need for alternative prescription-strength steroids to reduce swelling until your sinuses have readjusted. It's worth the urgent care visit."

• Coo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 8, 2019

"I have seen some pretty horrible designs for packaging, but this has got to be the worst. I think they intentionally want people to buy their medicine and then be unable to open it and be forced to go through the mental quandary of do you drive back and return it for five bucks or do you just throw it in the trash and scream at the heavens. Who designed the cap for this bottle? The fact that they haven't been sued yet is a miracle."