I used to swear by Afrin. Worked like a charm. Lately, however, I have been experiencing horrible side effects. Currently I have a cold, and I took some Afrin two days ago. It actually made me feel WORSE. It cleared up my congestion, but then my nose became even more runny than before (it was really really bad -- like a river!) and I had long sneezing attacks and a constant burning sensation in my nose. So I think I'm going to quit the Afrin and try to find a new decongestant.