Decongestant medication - Side effects of decongestants
Decongestant medicines don't often cause side effects, and any side effects you may have are likely to be mild.
Reported side effects of decongestants include:
- irritation to the lining of your nose
- a skin rash
- headaches
- feeling sick or being sick
- dry mouth
- restlessness or anxiety
- tremor (uncontrollable shaking and trembling)
- problems sleeping (insomnia)
- rapid and/or irregular heartbeat
- noticing your heart beating inside your chest (palpitations)
- in men – difficulty passing urine
These side effects should pass once you finish taking the medication.
More serious and rarer side effects include:
- hallucinations (seeing and hearing things that are not really there)
- experiencing a combination of vomiting, palpitations and headache – this could be due to a sudden rise in blood pressure
If you experience these rarer side effects, stop taking the medication and seek medical advice.
Very rarely you may experience a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), such as swelling of the throat, that can cause breathing difficulties, as well as swelling of the lips and the appearance of a red skin rash.
Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency. Call 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance.
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