Xylometazoline nasal and Headaches: What Users Say

• Pat...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 17, 2018

Xylometazoline nasal for Nasal Congestion "Be wary of this drug, highly addictive. Maximum use is 3 days. Could not go without it, always a bottle carried around with me. Spent a fortune over the years! Couldn’t go without it for a clear nose. It is called rebound congestion. So, went to the doctor and was told to go off it cold turkey or would end up with a cocaine nose. Went cold turkey and had headaches, sinus, dizziness, and nausea. I had to sleep in an upright position to breathe. Been off it for 3 years. Took 2 weeks of withdrawal symptoms. Don’t touch it."

• Vip...
• January 23, 2018

Xylometazoline nasal for Nasal Congestion "Never use this medicine. It left my nose hurting and burning. Definitely clears the congestion. But gives you side effects like headache, toothache, nose hurting badly. Worst nasal spray I've ever seen."

• lau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 25, 2023

Xylometazoline nasal for Nasal Congestion "I woke up with a terrible cold and sinus congestion. I've used Otrivin in the past with no issues, but after using it once today, my nostrils are now so irritated and uncomfortable, it feels like they're on fire. My gums are also feeling sore, and I'm starting to get a headache. This is terrible."

• Kir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 30, 2020

Xylometazoline nasal for Nasal Congestion "Used Otrivin for a few days as I suffer from congestion constantly. While it does unblock your nose, it doesn't last very long, and the rebound congestion is awful. My nose is now bloody and sore, large chunks of bloodied mucus pile up, and I have headaches. My nose is worse than it was before! Going to go back to Sudafed, it seems gentler and hasn't caused a bloody nose ever!"

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 9, 2020

Xylometazoline nasal for Nasal Congestion "Horrible nasal spray! I followed instructions and only used 2 sprays in each nostril every 8 hours for only 1.5 days (not even the 3 days mentioned on the bottle). The third time I used it, it was horrible! My left nostril burned like crazy! I had a severe burning sensation for 20 minutes. And then after, my nostril felt sore. Never again! Not only that, my face was a bit sore, and my gums were a bit sore hours later. And I felt a headache coming on. Those side effects are not worth clearing up nasal congestion from a cold! Be aware, this nasal spray is dangerous! It could possibly damage the inside of your nose. I’ll never forget that burning feeling. It was like my nostril was on fire. I hope there is no damage at this point. And if there is, I hope it heals."

• Rei...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 21, 2021

For Nasal Congestion "My nose is behaving perfectly when I'm clogged, especially the menthol. I was using it when I had the flu. But I'm addicted to it at the moment. I can't breathe without it. I've tried to stop my use many times. But I can't stop, the alternative allergy sprays didn't open my nose. The quality of life has fallen so much. I'm having the headaches that are caused by not being able to breathe. Besides being an effective drug, it's too dangerous. And in this 6 years, I have been addicted to Otrivine."

• Con...
• December 10, 2017

Xylometazoline nasal for Nasal Congestion "This nasal spray works in seconds and lasts for hours. I had a cold, stuffy, runny nose and a constant draining at the back of my throat, which caused me to cough incessantly. After taking Otrivin, all of my symptoms stopped. It can cause a slight headache if you take too much, and you can get addicted because it works so well. Then, after a while, you get rebound congestion, so be aware of that, and only use it for a few days."

• Bet...
• September 8, 2018

For Nasal Congestion "Unfortunately, usage resulted in a bad experience for me. I commenced using it the same day I got on a 1-hour flight (so only used it twice - afternoon and evening). I had a bit of a headache and an overall unwell feeling after using it, but not that bad, I guess. Then later that evening on the flight, I got very bad anxiety to the point that the flight attendants knew something was up and were checking on me (flight attendants were very kind :). I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder almost 8 years ago but have worked on it, take an antidepressant (sertraline), and suffer no symptoms for many years. I regularly fly (don't love flying but do fly a lot for work and travel). I had no anxiety leading up to the flight but got very, very bad anxiety on the flight and was trembling, upset stomach, and diarrhea. I see it has been linked to nervousness, so perhaps don't use it if you will be in a nervousness-inducing situation like I was (flying). I had such an awful experience."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 16, 2020

For Nasal Congestion "Bought this because all the other sprays weren’t strong enough. It was all good for the first few days, made my nose all clear and dry, but from the 3rd or 4th day, I started sneezing and coughing constantly. Had a headache on the fifth and ended up with an anxiety attack. Waited a week, then tried to reuse it. Nose was clear for 2 hours, then had rebound congestion. I don’t recommend against this drug since it’s fairly effective at what it does, but just count your days using it."