FDA issues urgent warning over contaminated nasal spray: If you’ve used it, call your doctor immediately

The FDA is warning people not to use a nasal spray that is contaminated with potentially-deadly germs.

SnoreStop Nasal Sprays, sold online at Walmart and other sites, were found to contain bacteria that can lead to ‘life-threatening’ infections in some people.

Anyone who has recently used them should contact their doctor with questions, the FDA said. 

The California-based company that makes the sprays, Green Pharmaceuticals, has repeatedly failed to comply with the FDA’s calls to recall the products.

The FDA said Green has a history of selling unapproved drugs and failing to quality control its products. 

The agency also said it inspected Green Pharmaceuticals’ facility in Camarillo in April 2024 and found ‘significant’ evidence of microbial contamination in one lot of nasal sprays.

The FDA also found that Green repackaged and distributed some of them for use as single units and in kits. 

DEADLY REACTION: They were sold online at Walmart and other sites – but may cause fatal infections

On Wednesday, the FDA said: ‘The use of microbially contaminated nasal spray can potentially lead to infection, which can be life threatening in certain patient populations, such as immune-compromised individuals.’

It added there is also no evidence SnoreStop nasal sprays do what they say on the packaging – open air passages and relieve congestion for a good night sleep. 

These sprays are not FDA-approved and are marketed toward children over five and adults.

Using the nasal sprays is particularly dangerous for the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions, the FDA warned.

These individuals have weaker immune systems, meaning they may be less able to fight off an infection.

The FDA recommended the product be recalled on both August 13 and September 12. ‘To date, the company has not taken action to recall this potentially dangerous product from the market,’ the agency said.  

Green previously voluntarily recalled one lot of SnoreStop NasoSpray in June 2022 after FDA testing found it contained Providencia rettgeri, a bacterium shown to cause urinary tract infections, gastroenteritis, pneumonia, and meningitis.

Estimates vary, but research suggests that the bacterium can kill anywhere from six to 33 percent of patients. 

The FDA issued a warning letter against Green Pharmaceuticals in December 2022 for distributing unapproved drugs and a lack of quality control.