Xylometazoline hydrochloride for treating nasal congestion during common cold

Using Xylometazoline Spray 0.1% during a cold potentially enhances sleep quality, overall performance, and well-being during the illness.

To evaluate the effects of Xylometazoline 0.1% spray (used thrice daily for a week) on quality of life (QoL) in people with congested nose (stuffy nose) due to cold.

This decentralized, longitudinal, open-label study registered 136 people aged more than equal to 18 years. They presented with early symptoms of the common cold, of which 102 people received the study treatment.

The study participants confirmed a ‘plugged nose’ and more than or equal to 1 other symptom of common cold within 24 hours of the spray use.

The main endpoints of the study assessed various aspects of respiratory symptoms using the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey-21 (WURSS-21) scores, individual symptom scores, and overall quality of life (QoL) scores. Secondary endpoints involved assessing other QoL measures. Further exploration involved analyzing median days for QoL improvement and examining QoL across different categories through exploratory and post hoc analyses.

There were improvements in symptoms and QoL in people who used the nasal spray. Starting from day 1, the ‘stuffy nose’ symptom (p = 0.0023), WURSS-21 total QoL score, and all the QoL scores (p < 0.0001 for all) improved.

After the last dose needed, all the 5 QoL classes improved considerably: 

• Quality of sleep (73%)
• Alertness (vitality) (76%)
• Physical activity (71%)
• Social activity (80%)
• Sensation- senses of smell and taste (81%)

There were no severe or unexpected adverse events.

Addressing nasal congestion in adults with 0.1% xylometazoline hydrochloride during a common cold has a beneficial effect on quality of life aspects pertinent to everyday life.