Anyone else had to deal with "afrin addiction"?

[lokiju]

So I've had a crazy long cold for the past two weeks that I just can't kick and was sick and tired of not being able to breath out of my nose all the time. So last Sunday when I was at the grocery store I saw some Afrin and decided to give it a try as I was desperate for relief.

I took it for the first time Sunday evening and was blown away at how dramitically it helped me and I'd re-apply every 12 hours as it said in big print on the box it was 12 hour acting.

With yesterday being my 4th day using the stuff I decided I should probably read the fine print and see if there was a point and time that I was supposed to discontinue use and shat myself when I saw it said not to use it for more than 3 days, so I stopped after reading that and haven't re-applied since yesterday evening, which wore off around 4AM this morning.

I woke up not being able to breath at all out of my nose, not even a little, worst stuffed nose I've ever had in my life! I figured after a nice hot shower and blowing my nose a bit that I'd be a little better off, but nope! It's now 3:30pm and it's just as bad as it was at 4AM this morning, it was so bad at 4AM that I was never able to even get back to sleep and have been up ever since.

I decided I should Google it up and see whats up and holy shit this stuff is a real problem! Seem basically it causes your sinuses to swell after stopping use to the point of closure and doesn't let up for anywhere from 12 hours to a week! FUCK!

So let it be a lesson to everyone else, no matter how great the stuff works, the aftereffects is just not work it, not even by a long shot.

Never again will I use this crap.

 

[chusteczka]

Nasal sprays and decongestants are highly addictive. Most things that involve the nose are highly addictive; scratching, picking, blowing, ...

 

[Lean L]

Nasal sprays and decongestants are highly addictive. Most things that involve the nose are highly addictive; scratching, picking, blowing, ...

huh?

 

[zephyrprime]

I have a weird problem where my nose is congested all the time. Even in winter. I use afrin a lot and stopping use of it does not cause my nose to congest more than it normally does. But that may be because it normally is congested.

 

[ahenkel]

I've been trying to kick an Afrin addiction. I've been using it for the past year. It's not like I'm getting high off it. I just enjoy breathing and breathing well.

 

[xanis]

Happened to me not too long ago. It really sucked when I stopped using it, but I sucked it up and took a hit on sleep for a little while and now I'm back to normal.

 

[shiner]

Next time just use a drill

 

[TallBill]

No, I put a cheerio up my nose once when I was a kid though.

 

[BillGates]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinitis_medicamentosa

 

[techs]

I did have an "addiction" to it, if you mean that if I didn't keep using it my nostrils would completely close up.
I had been using it for about 3 weeks and couldn't stop. I went to an ENT who told me I had the "rebound effect" He treated me with injections up my nostrils (completely painless) of steroids and it cleared up in a few days.

 

[I Saw OJ]

Had the same problem last year. Took 4-5 days after the Afrin ran out before my nose went back to normal. No amount of blowing my nose helped.

 

[SunSamurai]

Cant you just take half a dose, and then 1/4 to ease yourself off it?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I've heard you can handle the addiction by weaning one nostril at a time of Afrin. Sounds rough in any case . . .

 

[highland145]

Alternative next time? I've been using saline nasal spray for the last several years. If I sneeze, sniffle, etc, the nose gets a spray. Multiple times a day if needed. I believe the saline kills bacteria/germs. Either way, my colds are significantly shorter.

 

[Sephy]

I believe the saline kills bacteria/germs. Either way, my colds are significantly shorter.

It doesn't. But it does clear out a lot of gunk that drains out of the sinuses.

 

[zinfamous]

afrin is the bomb. and yes...quite addicting.

 

[shiner]

Sounds like Afrin should be a controlled substance....like vinegar.

 

[highland145]

Sounds like Afrin should be a controlled substance....like vinegar.

lol

 

[CallMeJoe]

Alternative next time? I've been using saline nasal spray for the last several years. If I sneeze, sniffle, etc, the nose gets a spray. Multiple times a day if needed. I believe the saline kills bacteria/germs. Either way, my colds are significantly shorter.

There was an earlier mention of decongestant rebound. Saline nasal sprays are good for getting yourself off the afrin.

 

[apac]

All you get is a couple days of withdrawl symptoms (stuffy nose) after taking it for over a week. I wouldn't worry about it. I'll gladly trade being able to breath while feeling sick for a couple stuffy nose days afterward.

 

[shiner]

 

[StevenYoo]

Your doctor will have seen this problem pretty often. He/She will probably prescribe a short course of corticosteroids (prednisone) to keep your airway clear as you come off the afrin.

You can also quit cold turkey. You'll be blocked up for about a day or so, but you'll open up eventually as your body gets used to not having the afrin anymore

 

[SlitheryDee]

Yeah, I have. I used it for several months a couple of years ago and it was pretty hard to quit. The first two nights were hell, but it got better. I still use afrin on occasion, but I'm more careful about not using it on consecutive days.

Breathe-right nasal strips helped me greatly at bedtime.

 

[JS80]

I went through this too. Took a couple days of cold turkey to go away. I don't think the trade off is worth it. Will not use again.

 

[techs]

Your doctor will have seen this problem pretty often. He/She will probably prescribe a short course of corticosteroids (prednisone) to keep your airway clear as you come off the afrin.

You can also quit cold turkey. You'll be blocked up for about a day or so, but you'll open up eventually as your body gets used to not having the afrin anymore

The direct injections are far better than the systemic steriods, btw.