Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Addicted To Nose Spray?


Have you ever tried a nasal spray like Afrin or a generic nasal spray when you've been sick and just wanted to be able to breathe? Yeah? Me too. About 3 years ago, I had a horrible cold and got a free bottle of Afrin to test out. This stuff was amazing! It cleared my stuffy nose up right away! 

I hate not being able to breathe out of my nose and I've had some allergies ever since I moved to Las Vegas. I found out that I was allergic to Olive tree's and Mulberry bushes. So since the Afrin was working when everything else I tried was not, I decided to just use the nasal spray until pollen season was over. The only problem was...it never seemed to end for me. 

I started out using .05 ounces or Afrin a month. After a few months I was using 1 ounce a month until I was using it every day and buying 3 ounces a month to use. My stuffy nose just kept getting worse so I would use more nose spray. Twice a day went to 4 times a day until I realized that I had been using it every day for 3 years and I was now spraying this crap up my nose 12 times a day and my nose was always stuffy. 

I was addicted to nose spray and the consequences of that is called the rebound effect. After a while it stops working and your nose just stays stuffed up all the time. So last month I stopped using it. It was pure hell. I knew it wasn't allergies because there were no other symptoms. No itchy watery eyes, no sneezing, no scratchy throat. 

There's only one way to stop the rebound effect caused by nasal spray addiction...stop using it. But stopping it when you're addicted to it causes withdrawal symptoms as well. Headaches, sleeplessness, anxiety and moodiness. 

So I started using antihistamine pills and Sudafed pills while I was trying to kick this habit. It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. My nose stayed stuffed for more than a week before I finally started feeling some relief. And I mean completely stuffed. No air was moving in or out of my nose at all for about a week. But gradually things started to clear up and get better. It's now been a month and I'm still having some issues with a stuffy nose and I want my Afrin back so bad. But I didn't buy anymore and have tried using those anti snoring devices that hold open your nose at night just in order to be able to breathe a little better. They really don't work well. At one point I thought about getting some plastic aquarium tubing and sticking that in my nose at night so I could breathe. I didn't but I thought about it. 

There should be big red writing on the back of these sprays warning you not to use more than 3 days without stopping use for a few days. In the long run they do more harm than good if you use them too often. 

I wonder if there's a 12 step program for Afrin Addicts. 

Hi, My name is Mary and I'm addicted to Afrin. 

Or what happens to someone if they go to jail and are addicted to Afrin? 

"I'll trade you a pack of cigarettes for a couple of sniffs on the Afrin bottle, man." 

Eh, just a thought. 

22 comments:

  1. I've always heard about that addiction, but never knew anyone who had it. It sounds like you have kicked it, but what a struggle.

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    1. I did kick it and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Those things should come with a warning label.

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  2. Damn, never knew it could be an addiction. Glad you kicked it. May be two pack of cigarettes in jail, more of a rare item lol

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    1. lol two packs of cigs for a bottle of Afrin, more than fair enough.

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  3. I've never tried one yet

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  4. I never realized how easy you could get addicted to these. And sounds like it's difficult to get rid of the addiction.
    I've only tried nose spray a few times, when the doctor recommended it because of my ears, it didn't work. I never used it besides that. My boyfiend uses breathe right strips for his nose sometimes. Have you tried those?

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    1. I actually did use some breathe right strips in that first week and it didn't help. Things are a lot better now though.

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  5. Oh, Mary. That sounds horrible. You stay strong and stay away from that spray. I've never tried a nasal spray. I'm glad of it now.

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    1. I'm glad you haven't either. It was a hard habit to break but I'm glad to be over it now.

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  6. Wow, that's terrible! I have heard of people getting addicted or even getting nasty side effects from long term use.

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    1. Yeah, I had no idea that using it could do that.

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  7. Have you tried using a netty pot? That's what I use sometimes, if my allergies and nasal congestion is mild I just use one packet, if it's bad, I use two. It can sting but it works!

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    1. I did try one and didn't like it at all.

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  8. Glad you were able to break out of the addiction--I use a nose spray during the fall and spring, but it doesn't seen to bother me when I stop, maybe I've been lucky

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    1. Thanks, glad to hear you aren't having any problems with the one you're using.

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  9. I got a sinus infection and used it for almost two weeks. The doctor said something about being addicted to it (which I didn't realize was a thing up until that point). I haven't used it since and that was years ago. I'm scared of it now. Hope you start to feel better.

    Melanie @ Hot Listens & Rabid Reads

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    1. Thanks, I'm better now. Those bottles should have a huge warning label.

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  10. I didn't realize it did that. Glad you figured it out and were able to take care of it.

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    1. Thanks, it was a really hard week but I'm better now.

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  11. I did know this! My mom was using it like crazy when I was a kid and had to kick it like you did. It wasn't a fun thing at all.

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    1. Glad she was able to kick it though. It wasn't fun at all.

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