I developed seasonal allergies when I was 19 years old. Over the years I have tried many different allergy and cold products to relieve my symptoms, and the one medicine that always works quickly to open my nasal passages is Afrin Nasal Spray.

My Doctors, from allergists to my primary care Dr. have always recommended, by name, Afrin Nasal Spray. They do caution me not to use it more than a few days because dependency can occur.

Afrin has always been my product of choice, and now they have come out with their newest addition to their line of nose sprays, Afrin NoDrip Extra Moisturizing Pump Mist.

Description

Afrin NoDrip comes in a purple box, with "No Drip" clearly written in yellow. It says that this formula will not drip from nose or down throat. The package states Afrin is the #1 Doctor and Pharmacist Recommended Brand. It contains a moisturizer that helps rehydrate dry nasal passages.

Unlike other Afrin nasal sprays, this bottle has a pump action. That means that instead of squeezing the bottle, I push the pump down and a fine mist is dispersed. It reminds me of a perscription product I use called Flonase.

The bottle is round and quite small, only containing 1/2 fluid ounces (15 ml).

Claims

* Temporarily relieves nasal congestion from the common cold, hay fever, and upper respiratory allergies.

* Temporarily relieves sinus congestion and pressure.

* Shrinks swollen nasal membranes so you can breathe more freely.

Directions

For adults, 2 or 3 sprays in each nostril not more often than every 10-12 hours. Do not exceed 2 doses in any 24-hour period.

Ingredients

ACTIVE: Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride (0.05).

INACTIVE: Benzalkonium Chloride, Benzyl Alcohol, Edetate Disodium, Flavor, Glycerin, Microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose sodium, Polethylene Glycol, Povidone, Purified Water, Sodium Phosphate Dibasic, Sodium Phosphate Monobasic.

Thoughts

I received this product totally free. When I shop at my local Fred Meyer store, I get coupons back with my purchase. They are normally printed out based on the products bought. I was lucky enough to get a coupon for a FREE bottle of Afrin NoDrip Extra Moisturizing pump mist.

My husband and I have both been a bit under the weather recently, and I was diagnosed with bronchitis on Monday. I did have a chance to use this on a couple of evenings, and I can tell you it did everything it claims to do.

Just like my Flonase spray, the pump needs to be primed. To do this, remove the clear plastic cover from the tip and prime the metered pump by depressing pump firmly several times.

Using this is easy, and I get the same metered dose with every pump. I hold the nozzle with my first and second fingers, and keeping my head upright I simply depress the rim firmly and sniff deeply. If it's been a few days since this product has been used, it most likely will need to be primed again.

This nasal mist is easy to use, in fact I prefer it to the standard spray bottles. The metered dose delivers the same amount of spray each and every time. It didn't sting or burn my nasal membranes at all. It gave me instant relief that lasted all night long, at least 8 hours.

The added ingredient of glycerin (which is used as an emollient in many hand creams) helps to sooth, moisturize and lubricate the nasal passages.

Warnings

Over use of any nasal spray meant to shrink the mucous membranes can actually cause a rebound effect and can lead to dependency. I know, my husband was addicted to Afrin at one point in his life! The ingredients shrink the nasal passages, but when they return to their normal size it's very tempting to use the spray again. This can cause rebound congestion. The more you use, the worse the condition becomes until you can't breathe without your nasal spray!

(From the website "How Stuff Works"):

In the case of decongestants, the body tries to dilate the nasal blood vessels. This cancels out the decongestant's effect, and the same squeeze of the bottle that brought you relief before no longer helps. You end up using more and more to get rid of your stuffy nose. And each time you sniff more decongestant, your body redoubles its efforts against the resulting constriction.

Conclusion

Although there is a danger of overusing nasal sprays, there are those times when I need that quick relief when nothing else works. If I wake up in the middle of the night because I can't breathe, the last thing I want it to wait 30 or more minutes for an antihistamine to work!

Afrin NoDrip mist doesn't run down the back of my throat - I hate that feeling!! It delivers a soft, fine mist to my nasal passages that starts working immediately. I haven't used it long enough to know for sure if this new formula truly is moisturizing, but I do know that glycerin is a moisturizer and this does contain glycerin.

In the future when I need a nasal spray, I will be purchasing Afrin No Drip Extra Moisturizing spray!

Retail price: $6.99

Thank you Melissa for adding this to the Epinions data base! It is much appreciated.






Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): FREE
Frequency of Use: Occasionally (a few times per year)
Extent of Symptom Relief: Immediate relief of all symptoms
Duration of Symptom Relief: 8 to 12 hours
Best for relieving: Stuffy nose
Extent of Side Effects: Hardly any negative effects