Do you find that you need more and more nasal spray to achieve the same effect? Have you been (mis)using Afrin or similar nasal decogestants for years?
Are nasal sprays like Afrin right up there with gambling, alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes? Of course not — even if you overuse nasal sprays for a very long time, the consequences will not be anywhere near as serious.
Yet, some people confess that they are or have been addicted to nasal decongestants. What's up with that? Can you really be addicted to nasal sprays? And what happens if you use Afrin way too much?
What Is Afrin Nasal Spray?
Afrin is a popular brand of nasal spray, produced by the Bayer group. Nothing, according to Afrin itself, relieves nasal congestion better. First offered only as a prescription medication, Afrin became available as an over-the-counter product in 1975. Since then, the nasal spray has starred in numerous advertising campaigns, bringing awareness of the products to consumers all over the US. Original, Pump Mist, Sinus and Severe Congestion are among its products, which use Oxymetazoline as an active ingredient and work by shinking the blood vesses in the nasal passagers.
These sprays will help unblock your nose when you suffer from allergy-induced nasal congestion or have a cold.
Though Afrin has a market share of about 30 percent now, other similar products include Dristan, Sinex and Neo-synephrine. All together, the nasal spray market is worth a whopping $210 million a year. It's not hard to see why, really: nasal decongestion may not be a serious ailment, but it sure does mess with people's daily functioning, and can keep them up at night. When you have a blocked nose, you want it to be gone as soon as reasonably possible, and nasal sprays like Afrin can lend a helping hand. Do you get more than you bargained for when you use a nasal spray, though?
Nasal Spray Addiction: Are You For Real?
SteadyHealth users themselves have told us:
- "Ive reached a point where I can't be without it anymore."
- "I could not survive without it. If I did not use enough of it before I went to sleep, I would have dreams of being buried alive."
- "I too was addicted to Afrin for 17 years. It was horrible. Everywhere I went, I was constantly using it."
True addiction, we have to remember, is often defined as a compulsive need to use a substance or engage in an activity known to be habit-forming. Such a substance really needs to be physically, emotionally or socially detrimental for a habit of using it to be considered an actual addiction: we can't really say that we are addicted to quinoa, kale, or yoga, though we may certainly be obsessed with all of these things.
Afrin and other nasal sprays don't really qualify, though using Afrin for 17 years straight certainly sounds like a bad idea, and a grand total of seven percent of the US population was found to over-rely on nasal sprays.
Why do people say they are addicted to nasal sprays if that can't really happen? Well, it's true that nasal sprays become less effective after you have been using them for a while. As with cocain and other illegal street drugs, you need more and more of the stuff for it to still be effective. What's more, people who have been using nasal sprays for a while (or longer than a while) may find that they get horrible congestion if they suddenly stop using the product. They can develop rhinitis medicamentosa, a form of nasal congestion triggered by over-the-counter nasal decongestants themselves. This is sometimes referred to as "rebound congestion".
Why Overusing Nasal Sprays Is A Bad, Bad Idea
What Is Rhinitis Medicamentosa?
Rhinitis medicamentosa can result in people who use nasal sprays like Afrin for more than three to five days straight. Yes, using enormous quantities of nasal spray can indeed damage the sensitive nasal mucosa, in turn preventing the medication from doing what it is supposed to do — decongest your nose. You, in turn, may respond to the reduced efficacy of your favorite over-the-counter nasal spray by using more of it, leading to more damage and an even greater loss of efficacy. You may well find that your nose is blocked up more than it was before you ever started using the spray.
As an aside — yes, the manufacturers of your nasal spray do indeed warn you about the possibility of rhinitis medicamentosa, and you should not be using any nasal spray for more than five days in a row.
What Happens If You Get Rhinitis Medicamentosa?
If you go to the doctor and fail to mention your consistent overuse of nasal sprays but you do mention the resulting symptoms — a very blocked nose, swollen nasal passages, headaches, and coughing — your doctor will have a very hard time reaching the right diagnosis. If you continue to overdo the nasal spray, the membrane separating your nostrils could even tear. Yikes!
How do you quit, then?
While SteadyHealth users who have personal experience with nasal spray "addiction" describe diluting their bottles of Afrin with saline solutions to create a semi-placebo effect and they discuss switching to other brands during the "withdrawal process", doctors are clear that there is only one way to quit Afrin and other nasal sprays: cold turkey. You may, however, need nasal steroids to restore your nasal mucosa if damage has been done.
Can You Safely Use Nasal Sprays?
Are you scared of using nasal sprays after finding out that some people develop decades-long habits? Don't be. It is indeed safe to use nasal sprays if you suffer from nasal congestion, but the key is to use them as directed. Use your nasal spray for no longer than five days, and if your symptoms have not improved by that time, go to your family doctor for diagnosis and perhaps more radical treatment.
If you already have a history of overusing nasal sprays, of course, you may want to skip that first step and head straight to the doctor. You don't want that vicious cycle to start again.