Afrin (nasal spray)

Afrin is a brand of nasal spray used to ease nasal congestion that is available over-the-counter in the United States. The generic name for this medication is Oxymetazoline hydrochloride. While useful in the short-term, 12 hour relief, for sinus congestion, prolonged use (in excess of three days) may result in rebound congestion (rhinitis medicamentosa). This can cause a dependency on the product; recovery may take some time.

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Afrin is distributed by Schering-Plough HealthCare Products.

Trivia

From the late 1980s to mid 1990s, Afrin featured many notable television advertisements. Some of these commercials showed men, women, and kids using other brands of nasal sprays, and then standing upside down or hanging upside down from playground equipment to prevent their nasal spray from dripping out. This was juxtaposed with Afrin users having no problems.