FDA issues urgent warning over contaminated nasal spray: If you’ve used it, call your doctor immediately
STAY AWAY FROM THE SPRAY: SnoreStop Nasal Sprays Being Recalled
The FDA is warning people not to use nasal sprays contaminated with potentially deadly bacteria.
SnoreStop nasal sprays, sold online at Walmart and other sites, have been found to contain bacteria that can lead to “life-threatening” infections in some people.
People who have recently used them should contact their doctor if they have any questions, the FDA said.
The California-based company that makes the sprays, Green Pharmaceuticals, has repeatedly failed to comply with FDA calls to recall the products.
According to the FDA, Green has a history of selling unapproved drugs and failing to conduct quality controls on his products.
The agency said it inspected Green Pharmaceuticals’ Camarillo plant in April 2024 and found “significant” evidence of microbial contamination in one batch of nasal sprays.
Rather than throwing away the affected products, Green repackaged and redistributed some of them so they could be used as individual products or in sets.
DEADLY REACTION: They were sold online at Walmart and other sites, but can cause deadly infections
The FDA said Wednesday: “Use of microbially contaminated nasal spray could potentially lead to an infection that could be life-threatening for certain patient groups, such as people with weakened immune systems.”
It also added that there is no evidence that SnoreStop nasal sprays do what they say on the packaging – open up airways and relieve congestion for a good night’s sleep. These sprays are not FDA approved and are marketed to children over five and adults.
The use of nasal sprays is especially dangerous for the elderly, pregnant women, and people with underlying health problems.
These people have a weaker immune system, which may make them less able to fight an infection.
The FDA recommended recalls of the product on August 13 and September 12. “To date, the company has taken no action to remove this potentially dangerous product from the market,” the agency said.