Afrin and Headaches: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 12, 2025

For Nasal Congestion "I took this spray simply to test it out before using it on my child, who has a sinus infection, and I’m very glad I did because I'm experiencing side effects. The bottle says a max of 3 sprays in each nostril, so that's what I dosed myself. After about 30 mins, I was bragging about how great it was, I've never used anything that cleared my nose so well. But within an hour, I had a headache, felt sleepy, and my sinus cavity was extremely dry and so cold when inhaling. I couldn’t fall asleep because of how dried out and cold my nose felt. Then I decided to get up and drink some water and realized that my entire body was cold, I had tremors and felt faint. After a hot shower, I feel better aside from the dry sinuses. But that was scary! I certainly won't ever take it at that dosage again, maybe not ever. Should say 1 spray in each nostril and absolutely no more!"

• Har...
• November 17, 2018

For Nasal Congestion "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!"

• JRB...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2021

For Nasal Congestion "To be honest, I would rather have just had a stuffy nose. Used Afrin for a cold because my nose was extremely congested, and I wanted it clear so I could sleep. To the medicine’s credit… it did clear my nose. But the side effects aren’t a worthwhile trade-off. I had a headache for the entire day afterward, and my nose burned like fire. At first, it was just an annoying burning, then it turned into a sharp nerve pain in my left nostril after about 18 hours. I also sneezed so many times I lost count. Feeling a bit better now by the second day. Many people have complained about the cap on the bottle being hard to open, and I had a bit of trouble with it as well, however, it’s a minor complaint compared to the actual effectiveness of the medicine. Keep in mind, this was just my personal experience, and everyone’s different, of course. But beware of the side effects and decide if it’s worth it for you."

• pie...
• July 30, 2019

For Nasal Congestion "So sad that I have to read what the sheep have to say, the same thing over and over again. They all cannot open the bottle. Instead of talking about the medication, they talk about the cap - monkey see, monkey do. In this context, talking about the same thing over and over again - pathetic. It tells a lot about the people. The medication is okay, but it gave me headaches, dizziness, and high blood pressure if used more than usual."