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Oxymetazoline

Medication topical nasal decongestant cold & flu
Aka: Afrin, Iliadin
Brands seen in Singapore: Iliadin, Nazolin, Oxy-Nase, Clariclear
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
SG label: acute cold, sinusitis, syringitis, otitis media
When to take
SG label: 1 puff each nostril 2–3 times daily, 5–7 days
Take with
NHS: not alongside another blocked-nose medicine
Pros & cons
Pros
  • HSA: general sale list — off the shelf in SG
  • US otc label: doses sit 10–12 hours apart
  • SG label: a 0.025% paediatric strength is registered
Cons
  • SG label: short courses of 5–7 days only
  • US otc label: no more than 3 days in a row
  • Frequent use can make congestion recur or worsen
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg dataset d_767279312753558cbf19d48344577084), Forensicclassification column; all 5,511 rows cached at /tmp/hsa_all.json and filtered locally (never re-fetched), 10 oxymetazoline rows, 27 Aug 2026 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “ILIADIN SPRAY 0.05% (SIN02674P), ILIADIN SOLUTION 0.05%, 0.025% and 0.01%, NAZOLIN NASAL SPRAY 0.05%, OXY-NASE nasal spray and drops 0.05% and paediatric 0.025%, and CLARICLEAR NASAL SPRAY 0.05% all read "General Sale List", ATC R01AA05”
  2. MOH National Drug Formulary — ILIADIN SPRAY 0.05% [SIN02674P], Product information block · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “OXYMETAZOLINE HCL - 0.5 MG … Forensic Classification: GENERAL SALE LIST · Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code R01AA05 · Prescription-only Medicines with Exemptions for Supply without Prescription: NA”
  3. MOH National Drug Formulary — ILIADIN SPRAY 0.05% [SIN02674P], Indications · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Acute cold, paranasal sinusitis, syringitis, otitis media.”
  4. MOH National Drug Formulary — ILIADIN SPRAY 0.05% [SIN02674P], Dosage, mode of administration and duration of treatment · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “spray 1 puff … into each nostril 2–3 times daily … may only be administered to adults and children of 6 years and older … should only be used for short periods of time (5 to 7 days)”
  5. MOH National Drug Formulary — ILIADIN SPRAY 0.05% [SIN02674P], Contraindications · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Rhinitis sicca, hypersensitivity … children below six years of age. In the following cases this drug may only be used after carefully weighing the risk-to-benefit ratio: … Increased intraocular pressure, especially narrow-angle glaucoma; Severe cardiovascular diseases … Phaeochromocytoma”
  6. US FDA OTC Drug Facts (DailyMed/openFDA) — Afrin Original Nasal, oxymetazoline hydrochloride 0.05%, Purpose and Uses · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Oxymetazoline hydrochloride 0.05% Purpose Nasal decongestant … temporarily relieves nasal congestion due to: common cold; hay fever; upper respiratory allergies … shrinks swollen nasal membranes so you can breathe more freely”
  7. US FDA OTC Drug Facts (DailyMed/openFDA) — Afrin Original Nasal, Directions · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “2 or 3 sprays in each nostril not more often than every 10 to 12 hours. Do not exceed 2 doses in any 24-hour period. children under 6 years of age: ask a doctor.”
  8. US FDA OTC Drug Facts (DailyMed/openFDA) — Afrin Original Nasal, Warnings · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Ask a doctor before use if you have heart disease; high blood pressure; diabetes; thyroid disease; trouble urinating due to an enlarged prostate gland … do not use for more than 3 days”
  9. NHS — Decongestants (conditions A–Z), what they are · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Decongestants are a type of medicine that can provide short-term relief for a blocked or stuffy nose (nasal congestion) … They work by reducing the swelling of the blood vessels in your nose, which helps to open the airways.”
  10. NHS — Decongestants: how to use decongestants · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Most decongestants should only be used between 1 and 4 times a day … Decongestant nasal sprays and drops should not be used for more than 5 days at a time”
  11. NHS — Decongestants: taking decongestants with other medicines · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “taking decongestants alongside some antidepressants can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure. Do not use more than one medicine to treat a blocked nose at the same time. This includes using nasal sprays together or combining them with tablets”
  12. NHS — Decongestants: pregnant and breastfeeding women · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “It's not clear whether it's safe to take any type of decongestant if you're pregnant, so you should only use them if told to by a healthcare professional.”
  13. US FDA OTC Drug Facts (DailyMed/openFDA) — Afrin Original Nasal, When using this product · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “do not use more than directed; do not use for more than 3 days. Use only as directed. Frequent or prolonged use may cause nasal congestion to recur or worsen.”
  14. MOH National Drug Formulary — ILIADIN SPRAY 0.05% [SIN02674P], Contraindications (risk-benefit list) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “In the following cases this drug may only be used after carefully weighing the risk-to-benefit ratio: Patients treated with monamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO-inhibitors) and other drugs potentially increasing blood pressure”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.