Anybody successfully used nasal sprays long term without addiction?

[Viper GTS]

I've avoided nasal sprays for years for fear of addiction. This year I got desperate & picked up a bottle of Afrin. Absolutely amazing stuff, unfortunately it's extremely addictive.

I've been using it for a couple days now at 1/3 the recommended dosage. My thinking is that perhaps at 1/3 the recommended dosage and only 1/2 the frequency (once a day instead of twice) I might be able to avoid addiction.

I'm a CPAP user so being able to breathe through my nose is essential to me being able to sleep (at least to have productive sleep). If I could get away with once daily for a couple weeks out of the year it would make my life a lot better.

Any thoughts? Should I just pitch the bottle before I get hooked? It's been a godsend the last couple days...

Viper GTS

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

i use afrin infrequently, as needed

 

[TitanDiddly]

Addicted to nasal sprays, eh? Never heard of it.

 

[Twista]

Originally posted by: PhasmatisNox
Addicted to nasal sprays, eh? Never heard of it.

:laugh:

 

[Viper GTS]

http://ww2.whas11.com/Global/story.asp?S=2775403

Viper GTS

 

[Zenmervolt]

I used a prescription nasal spray for 3-4 months out of the year, twice a day, every day for many years and never became addicted.

ZV

EDIT: Every year after the first frost I stopped cold turkey and never had a bit of this so-called "rebound congestion".

 

[neonerd]

I'm supposed to be using one right now (also afrin), but they piss the hell out of me. I just throw it behind my couch or something, and it stays there.

I just have prescription pills for allergies and they work great....Alegra-D does the job...after a while, I become immune to its effects, and switch to Bromfet; it's a cycle between the two, just going back and forth (when immune to one, switch to other). Works quite nicely

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I used a prescription nasal spray for 3-4 months out of the year, twice a day, every day for many years and never became addicted.

ZV

Not all nasal sprays are addictive, the ones that operate by shrinking the blood vessels are typically the problem drugs.

Viper GTS

 

[vienna]

I should own stock in Afrin, the severe congestion formula has had me for awhile now.

 

[lizardboy]

I was in the same boat as you, after years of avoiding them I started using Afrin earlier this year. After about two months, I finally went to the doctor and she could already tell that I was doing some damage to my nose. I've been on Flonase since then, and it seems to be working well. It doesn't completely clear my nose out like Afrin would, but it makes it still makes it possible to not be a mouth breather.

 

[dug777]

my bro use to use them, but he was so forgetful that in the end my folks gave up trying to make/remind him take it

 

[angedinoir]

It's addictive, if you use it long term, you're going to have withdraws. Generally this is going to be a severe runny nose. Maybe the occasional bloody nose. Sorry, not much you can do it about it, just your body's natural reaction.

I suppose if you could find something that doesn't completely dry you out, you would be able to use it longer term, but if you've got constant congestion, I would suggest addressing the allergy/irritant. It's like taking asprin for a brain tumor.

Addiction does occur, but it's not like you're going to crave it, you're just going to have a runny nose. This typically won't be severe unless you've used it for at least a month. Talk to a specialist, they'll be able to better advise you.

 

[tami]

afrin is addictive, but i've been able to pull myself off it. sometimes i felt like i needed to take it the following night of taking it, but i forced myself to stop and relied heavily on tissues.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Well why the hell didn't you PM me?

You can use a nasal decongestent for three consecutive days. After that the tissues become dependent on the stimulation provided by the medication. I suggest 3 days on, and 4 days off. Cutting back the amount is not helpful.

Have you tried a nasal steroid?

 

[Lvis]

I was addicted for a couple of years. It probably wasn't as bad as crack, or heroin, but any addiction sucks. My nose would close right up if I didn't have the little bottle around.


Saline spray is your friend.

 

[Slacker]

I have seen the misery that allergies cause and I thank God that I have none :thumbsup:

You know yourself better than anybody, after reading the article you linked to do you think you will be susceptible to dependency? both the physical and psychological?

From what I read, the reason the stuff is addictive is because it does exactly what you want it to do, which brings you relief, temporarily, then it becomes very easy to use it again, and again.........

I am in the second year of dealing with an addiction, I quit smoking over a year ago and used nicotine lozenges for almost a year and just recently gave them up to be nicotine free for the first time in over ten years, it doesn't feel great, or even good, right now it really sucks, aside from being agitated and aggressive, I am also waking up one to two hours after falling asleep with a feeling of "something is wrong" perhaps a panic attack, happened three times so far in the past week.

I have no addictive tendencies toward alcohol or pot/other "recreational" drugs but I sure do have a problem with nicotine and maybe ibuprofen

For any over the counter substance where there is a possibility of addiction, it is always, 100% of the time, easier to live with the symptom than deal with the addiction.