I've been hooked on afrin for over 6 years, starting from when I took some with a cold when I was 14. It was my own fault, because my dad was a pilot and knew the 3-day-rule, but I kept using it because it helped me sleep. It got worse and worse, I was sneaking it in my pockets so my parents wouldn't see. I would steal the bottle from my dads cabinet when there weren't any in the closet, fake sick so my mom would buy more (this was easy since after a day I would be so stuffed normal people would believe I was sick).
But after so long, I knew something was wrong, and I've been looking for some sort of cure. I've attempted cold turkey so many times now, but it never lasts. I hope the half/half solution will work!
Thank you so much for the ideas and the support of knowing I'm not alone out here! Good luck to everyone!
Hi Andila,
It is so hard, I couldn't agree more. I actually got a job out of the country before the surgery to remove all three sets of turbinates, so I can't tell you for sure. What I can tell you is that if you have all 3 sets removed, there really shouldn't be anything anatomically left to swell into place.
People have lots of different methods to get off Afrin, but to be honest, the only one that works for me is cold turkey. The first 2 days are torture, so try to make them 2 days where you don't have a lot to do, or have the opportunity to exercise a lot. Exercising gets the blood flowing through the sinus tissues and reduces swelling temporarily but is so nice.
Another method that's worked for me is emptying half a bottle of Afrin and replacing it with water or salt water. Continue using the mixture as you normally would, but everyday replace what you've used in the bottle with more water. Your nose eventually gets used to the watered down solution and by the end of your bottle you should be done with the Afrin addiction.
The major kickback from Afrin is in the first 2 days of quitting, which is why it's so hard. You won't be able to breath out of your nose at all...not even a little bit. Which sucks, but it starts getting a bit better by the 3rd day in my experience and takes about 2 weeks to be completely out of your system.
YOU CAN DO IT! Don't give in. If you go the cold turkey route, THROW THE BOTTLE AWAY! You'll never quit if you have that relief sitting in your cabinet just waiting to be sprayed.
Good luck with your surgery! Let us know how it works for you.
I've been addicted to Afrin for 20 years. I quit for a year or two a long time ago and have on reason why I keep using this stuff over and over. I use whatever the Oxy version is in many different brands. I buy the big pack at Costco and have bottles everywhere. In my truck, in my desk at work, in my wives car, in my office at home, in the kitchen at home, in my golf bag, in my fly fishing bag, bottles everywhere! I have no sinus problems am a pretty healthy guy at 38. No allergies, nothing, just a stupid addicted to some dumb nose spray. Well I am making this post to dialog my quitting this habit!
As of four AM this morning I took my last two shots of Afrin. It has now been 17 hours since. I dumped out all my bottles and am finished! Around 10 this morning I got terribly congested, but I kept on working. I was stuffed all day long! Oh well its just a stuffy nose right? As I am sitting here one of my nostrils is completely clear. I am sure it will fill soon, but hey who knows? I will keep posting as it goes along.
Here are my thoughts thus far on having a stuff nose. I HAVEN'T had one in 20 YEARS! It's not that bad actually haha.
Here is what is going to help me quit. Can you breathe? YES! Am I going to die? NO!
My plan tonight drink a little, relax and deal with it.
The Afrin WILL be completely out of your system in 2 weeks. I just quit for the third time a few weeks ago, using the method of using one bottle until it was empty, and then once it's very near the bottom, adding a few drops of (bottled) water...and then once that's used up, adding a few more drops...basically diluting the meds little by little, lessening your nose's dependency on it. Having quit three times, that's the way that works best for me...far easier than cold turkey, which feels like torture for the first two weeks.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU! YOU CAN DO IT!!! All my support! It's so silly to have to cheerlead for rising above a nosespray, but that's realllly what it takes!
I always wondered if anyone else had my issues.
Thanks, MP
Oh my word. Today is my Day #1 of going off of Afrin. M-i-s-e-r-y. Kudos to all of you who have done this.
I was hooked on Afrin for about 7 years. I finally decided to go to a ENT and he prescribed me a 5 day burst pack of "prednisone" and "nasonax" spray. Prednisone is a topical corticosteroids which can have crazy side effects, but taking it for 5 days is not long enough to really cause bad side effects. Prednisone usually takes a few days to kick and help relieve some of the the nasal inflammation. Nasonax (which is a nasal spray) is also a steroid that prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. Nasonax usually takes 3 weeks to take effect and is not addicting like Afrin (your doctor may have you use it for up to 2 months) During the whole process all you have to do is throw away all of your Afrin and suffer through the horrible exprience for the first 2-5 days (I could breath through one nostril the 3rd day) of having a completely stuffed nose and never touch afrin again. Eventually you will be able to breath a couple hours a day then eventually your nose will go thru a cycle where every 12 hours where one of your nostrils will switch being stuffy. its been over a whole month since i have kicked afrin to curb. one of my nasal passages feels stuffy every now and then, but the doctor said its normal and eventually will subside. Honestly don't waste time if nothing is working go see a ENT or allergist. Dont be embarrassed to go to them. They have seen way to many cases of this and will help you thru it. Usually your doctor has samples of Nasonax so ask him for some. Ask your doctor for GeloNasal (dry nose relief saline) sample. Prednisone usually cost anywhere from $10-$39. besides having to spend $7 a week on a bottle of Afrin ($364 a year) a trip to the doctor and payment for the prescription without insurance can cost you anywhere around $200 (including the first visit and follow up visit). all i paid was $125.
Oh yeah and don't think about the side effects of Prednisone while your on it for 5 days there is no real need to taper off unless you doctor says so. besides having Prenisone and nasonax in your system you'll feel a bit of anxiety and gittery ( I felt like i was high...which maybe the body getting used to the nasonax spray). But no worries i got thru it and hopefully all with the same problem can too. Just dont think about the medication while on it, but take as prescribed without missing a single dose. Prenisone might keep you up at night so ask your doctor if you can take the amount you need to take all in the morning. The amount of prenisone i took was 60mg the first day and then only 20mg the second day and 10mg the last 3 days. I called my doctor and asked if i could lower the dosage because after the first 60mg my body reacted with my heart rate being higher then normal.......I hope this helps.