I’m addicted to Afrin Nasal Spray

Agough wrote:

danclear wrote:

Ask your doctor for a prescription of Flonase. Tell him you used it in the past and it works well for you. Dont tell him about your addiction to Afrin.

Under no circumstance should you lie to your doctor. Flonase may have worked well for one person, but that doesn't mean it will work for everyone. In fact, some people may have certain conditions or be on certain other medications that contraindicate Flonase. This is why you should never expect to go to your doctor and just place an order for whatever drug you want. If you give your doctor all the information you can, he/she will be able to decide what is best for you as an individual.

Actually, sometimes it's okay to lie to your doctor depending on the situation. I think it's fine if she doesn't tell the doctor about the Afrin. I have really bad asthma and a few weeks ago I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance for an asthma attack. When I got to the hospital, the doctor took my history, as usually do, they always ask about mental history. I have a diagnosis of PTSD. Anyway, I told the doctor this, he immediately assumed I was having a panic attack, and not an asthma attack. I needed medicine for my asthma and was sitting there not able to breath, but they didn't give it to me because the doctor decided to not bother to listen to everything else I had to say - let alone the fact that my regular doctor was also affiliated with that hospital and they could have just looked into the records to see my asthma history. Anyway, my husband has to go get the supervising doctor to explain the fact that I wasn't having a panic attack, and I indeed did have very bad asthma and that I needed medicine quick. This doctor came over, listened to my lungs, knew immediately I WAS having an asthma attack, and gave me the medicine to help me breath.

Anyway, long story short, I almost died, basically because I was honest with the doctor and he just decided to focus on the PTSD even though it had nothing to do with my visit...he didn't even listen to what else I had to say after I mentioned PTSD. Needless to say, from now on whenever I go to the doctor/hospital, I will never disclose any mental health info because apparently it will make the doctors not want to listen to what else you have to say, they assume you are crazy and then leave you there to die. So I do recommend lying if you must. There are certain circumstances where it's okay. But trust your own judgment.

Also, just note, the word "addiction" is also a facet of mental health, so if some doctors hear the word "addiction" or that you are an "addict" they will completely shut down and stigmatize you to the point where you might as well leave and start over again. I've been turned away from doctors who have said, "you need to stop using that before I can help you with anything - go to rehab" - or something along those lines, and then they kick you to the curb. So, again, use your judgment...but I just wanted to throw that out there because doctor's are people too, and they do mess up (big time, sometimes) so putting your blind trust in them can sometimes be detrimental as well. I guess it all depends on how much you trust them.

I was also addicted to afrin and was given Predizone by a Dr. (take 6, then 5, then 4, etc). PLEASE be careful before you take this drug.

I took the six pills the first day and not only suffered a terrible stomach ache, but was STARVING for three days. I gained 5 lbs that I still haven't lost. It was WAY more miserable than being on Afrin or even the sleepless night to get off of it.

I looked up the side effects of Predizone and almost fainted. They were AWFUL. I was so mad at my doctor for not telling me about them, even thought I asked if there were side effects.

So I would try ANY other method of breaking the addiction other than Predizone. That stuff is WORSE than Afrin; at least it was for me.

edited by moderator

I completely agree with this post. Prednisone can wreak all kinds of havok with your body. When I was a young teen I had a flat stomach. Then I "had" to take prednisone for athsma problems I was having, gained tons of weight, and 10 years later I still have some of the extra weight. It's like the prednisone destroyed my metabolism or something. Do not take prednisone, especially for something as relatively trivial as afrin addiction.

I had a dependency on nose spray for about a year. I would use 2 or 3 sprays in each side about every three hours or my nose would get totally stuffed, it got to the point where I wouldn't leave the house without it in my pocket or my bag.

About a month ago I was reading about some of the people who were on nose spray for 10 years and decided to kick the stuff. So that night I dumped the last of my nose spray, I actually cut open the bottle and rinsed out the residue because I knew I would be desperate later.

That night sucked intensely, I woke up in the middle of the night suffocating and actually started drinking hot sauce and eating wasabee to open my nose, it didn't work. I suffered through the night and when I woke up in the morning I started taking meds.

Weirdly enough the combo of medications I took worked really well, I could breathe through my nose about an hour later.
Anyhow I ended up taking 2 Ibuprofen, some of the Flonase spray, and a 24hr Clarinex-D and those things worked wonders for me, only took them for 2-3 days and i've been free from Nose spray ever since

Not sure if that will help anyone, not even positive which medication worked or why but this is just what I did.

-Lex

I provide a service discussing detailed instruction how to withdrawel from nose spray completely and with ease while breathing through the whole process.

Please visit my website at http:www.SprayFree4Me.com

It might change your life. I was addicted to nose spray too. I know what you are going through

In reality, the only way to get off of Afrin is to go cold turkey. I did it after severe abuse of the medication. It isn't fun, but just tough it out for 3 - 7 days and you'll feel your sinuses return to normal. As a medical school student, I've read some tech reports on over the counter nasal sprays. They're almost all bad. If you must use something, please either go with an isotonic saline mist, or, better yet, the Netti Pot (they usually come with isotonic packets that mix NaCl and Sodium Bicarbonate). But go cold turkey as far as the Afrin is concerned and then NEVER take it again.

Since people have different responses due to extreme or light usage...(I was a 8-10 hour user) I log my experiences here..These were my weapons of choice getting off Afrin.

Been to many doctors. I told them I used Afrin. They had given me shots and Rhinocort..but these don't last very long and you still need to keep on prescriptions and costly office visits..it's not a solution. I've had doctors wanting cat scans of my sinuses..even though I have told them..I use AFRIN!!

First: Start a Rhinostat process of dilution (and follow their recommendation in their manual for people who need to spray every hour or even 15 minutes!!!). Or you can use saline solution when your Afrin bottle gets half empty...fill with saline solution. Start using the diluted version...it will still work..keep track of how often you need it. Try to go extra time without spraying.

Have these products ready to go:

An extra bottle of saline solution
Vicks Vapo Rub
Lots of Ice in your freezer
Cranberry Juice (anti-toxin)
A gallon of your favorite ice cream.
"Sinus Buster"
A couple of boxes of tissue
3-4 days off work.
A couple of stupid movie DVDs (Canonball Run, Dumb and Dumber, CaddyShack etc.) You are going to need the humor)

DAY 1-5
Start drinking cranberry juice like crazy. It's and anti poison anti toxin tool!
If the dilution period on Rhinostat doesn't work (after 5 days and you still feel like dosing with afrin)..Track when you need to spray. Once you feel the need..try a challenge go for longer period..maybe an hour or two beyond..keep increasing that time if possible using a diluted solution.

DAY 6-9 (cold turkey phase)
THE HARDEST PART - You can do it!

Both sinuses will probably be freaking out and be blocked completely. I wanted to use a nose clip to hold my nose closed. It was really annoying. But keep thinking how you want to feel normal again.

At some point..any point... start using the materials above..and do a cold turkey spree of 3-4 days on day 5 or 6. These three days will be very difficult. I promise YOU..once you get over that...it's SO WORTH IT!!!!

The materials I listed above helped me during those critical 3-4 days after the dilution period. By the end of the 5th day of dilution...Here were my weapons of choice.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Use Saline Solution at will

If saline doesn't work..Use vicks vapo rub at will. (or Tiger Balm as a secondary backup - be careful with Tiger Balm..its about 5 times stronger)

During the day and every night...Fill a tall glass of Ice to the top. Add water to the top. Suck the cold water to the roof of your mouth and hold it until it starts to warm up..After 2 or 3 sips..you might feel your sinuses pop open..for a short time.

The Ice cream I used for the same purpose. Moosh it up to the roof of your mouth and let it melt. It will conduct the cold directly to the sinuses..soothing and shrinking the swelling. I would swap between Ice cream and water.

Tissue..self explanatory. (vaseline is good to have around if your nose gets raw or lips from dryness)

Sinus Buster...Ah..the best thing to use after your sinuses have calmed down a bit. It stings for only a few seconds..and will provide anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes relief..without addiction or chemicals. I used this more on the 4th day onward. You will definitely start secreting fluid and nasals will feel more hydrated.

If you can get out and walk in the cold for sometime..you will feel a lot of relief and it gets things flowing and draining.
------------------------------------------------------------
EUREKA!
On day 4 after cold turkey..I awoke to completely clear nostrils and the best sleep I've had in months! Later in the day..I noticed it didn't last..but it was nothing like what I just went through..it's really workable. Use the materials above..during the next week...whenever you need. If one doesn't work..try another. I start with saline, vicks, sinus buster and then cold water....swapping them all for whatever works.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER COLD TURKEY

I noticed on the 4th and 5th day after cold turkey (9th and 10th day since dulition) a throbbing pressure headache. Loss of appetite during this whole process and some indigestion. The headache felt like deep water diving pressure.

Day 9 and onwards..my nostrils didn't know what to do..one side got a little stuffy..then both for a bit..then it just seemed like they were confused as to what to do..this is good. During sleep..one nostril would be completely open...damn I still slept great! Be sure to while laying in bed..twist your upper torso to the left for a few seconds and then to the right. Kind of like you would lean over to a night stand to take a sip of ice water. It will help pop those sinuses open.

Keep using weapons..If saline doesn't work..use Vicks. If that doesn't help go to Sinus Buster..if that doesn't work. Ice water or Ice cream...also Go for a walk..Sometimes exercising your jaw (like biting into a big sandwich) unblocks your ears and gets things flowing.

Whatever you do..once you go off Afrin..do not be tempted to spray even once. You will be tempted...but keep thinking about how good it will be to be free and then stay in bed with some good movies. Don't plan on doing anything too complex..it's going to be hard to focus on anything those critical days.

ONCE you are CLEAR.
If you have had sinus infections..use a sinus rinse kit once a week. It's weird at first..but it works. I have not had a sinus infection since.

Good luck!

Day 13

Here I am...much better and much clearer!!! One sinus tissue seems to have slight rebound every now and then..but NOTHING like what I went through. The tissue seems to be confused..does it want to be open..or congested?

You may find that you will have one nostril clear for an hour..and then it will become slightly congested for an hour. The Sleep has been great! I can't believe I'm not waking up 3 or 4 times a night.

I had a wonderful few hours today where I was clear enough in both nostrils to start my Sinus Rinse kit..(Once I used it.... I was clear for hours)...Don't be disappointed when a nostril flares up..it's still nothing like you are going through..in fact, today I sneezed twice and it flared for only a few minutes..then went back down. Keep using the saline sprays and rinses..use "Sinol" or "Sinus Buster" if needed. I found that using to many of these sprays in an hour dries and also..slightly irritates sinuses. so keep it to a minimum..give the tissue some time to heal.

The best right now is drinking ice cold water, hot steam shower or bath and saline spray is the best!! I've pretty much stopped the Vicks vapo rub. Maybe at night.

It's going to take another 2 weeks for that drug to be completely out of your system. Keep cranberry juice and water flowing.

Also, reflecting back, when I was on Afrin, my nose and face was getting a little puffy. I remember squeezing my nose and it felt puffy and a bit numb. I also had wheezing in my chest at nighttime. AND some rare stressful moments where I would feel my trachea constrict.

So, if you have these along with the congestion..GET OFF AFRIN NOW!!!
You will not be sorry.

I will post back here in a few more days..and hopefully it will validate the experience in an more positive outcome and so that others will have validation and courage to getting off this physiological addictive medication.

good luck.

Mostly, you are not going to need more than you probably already have. If you are like me, I had several bottles of my nose spray on hand at one time. When they would get almost empty, I would still keep them just in case. So you need your bottles of nose spray, full or empty. Although you will need at least one full one to start and one empty one. Make sure you rinse the empty one in hot water. You will need a little measuring cup of some sort. You need one of those plastic children’s’ medicine syringes. The kind with 5 ml on it works well. And you need at least one bottle of plain Saline Nasal spray to start.

Just so you know, Saline is completely safe to use as often as needed and it is actually recommended to keep your nasal membranes moist. It is basically salt and water and is not addictive. You can buy it anywhere in the pharmacy section, but it is cheapest at Wal-Mart and only cost a couple of dollars for the Equate Wal-Mart brand. NOTE: ONCE MY ML OF SALINE WAS UP A BIT, I EXPERIENCED A BIT OF BURNING IN MY SINUSES. BUT IT WAS NOT INTOLERABLE AND IT ONLY LASTED A COUPLE OF DAYS AND THEN I NEVER HAD THE PROBLEM AGAIN. If the burning continues, it may be caused by a preservative in the saline and I think there is a preservative free brand you can buy that should take care of the problem.
Okay. The only other thing you need is a permanent marker. Lets get started. Again, SUPPLIES you need:
1. nose spray, full and empty.
2. children’s medicine syringe
3. small measuring cup
4. Saline Nasal Spray.
5. permanent marker

Most of your addictive sprays are 1 fl oz or 30 ml. I will base my report on that. But if yours is different, you can easily adjust once you see what I am doing.

Take your bottle of addictive nasal spray. The inside lid (the part that sprays) will come off. Now, some bottles look like one piece and that they will not come off, but they will. Take a butter knife and pry it off. It will come out with the plastic stick on it. You will need to do this with the empty bottle as well.

Pour a little of your addictive nasal spray into a small measuring cup. You are going to pull up with the children’s medicine syringe 29 ml of your spray. Squirt it into the empty bottle. Pour any remaining nasal spray from the measuring cup back into your original bottle. That way it’s not wasted and ready for next time. Pop the top back on that bottle.

Then take the bottle of Saline nasal spray and either squirt a little of it into the measuring cup or pop the top on it as well. Pull up 1 ml of the saline into the syringe and squirt it into the (empty) bottle. The same bottle you just put 29 ml of addictive spray into.

Put the top back on it and give it a little shake. Now you have your first mixture of weakened nose spray. Write on the side of it with your permanent marker, bottle one, 1 ml saline, 29 ml spray. Do this every time you make up a new bottle with the new ml written on it.

We start out weakening it one ml at a time. That way, there is a change, but not so much that your nose notices. The good part is you do not have to keep time on how much you use it. Use it as much as you need to throughout the day. There is no limit on that. Make sure you put any other bottles you have lying around in a drawer so you don’t use them by mistake. Now you need to be on that one strength for at least 3 or 4 days. If you need to longer, do so. However, by the time you get through that bottle, it is time to change strengths again.

Then use another empty bottle and do the above steps again. However, this time, put 2 ml saline, and 28 ml spray. Write on bottle again the strength. Again, use it 3 or 4 days.

It is important that at first, you make only slight changes in strength. That way, your nose does not have to make big adjustments and so your nose remains able to breath. Sometimes, you can feel the change, but it is only slight. Every time I changed a strength, I had no trouble. I had no desire to use stronger or going back to previous bottle. It was easy. This is a slow process, but it works. And you feel that you are making progress for once and that spurs you on.

I stayed on changing it 1 ml at a time, until I reached 7 ml. Do what’s comfortable for you. If you want to keep at that pace, that is fine. However, at that point, I started going 2 ml at a time. Then I did 9 ml saline, 21 ml spray, then 11ml and 19ml, then 13ml, 17ml. Then guess what, the next one is 15ml and 15ml and you are halfway off the nose spray. It took me about two months to get to this point. But It went by fast and the elation you felt every time you changed strength successfully is beyond belief. Also, since I started the 13ml and 17 ml change, I really started to notice a marked difference in my nose. I was not needing the nose spray for 2 or 3 hours at a time and remember, this is a much weaker strength. My nose was not having the same rebound congestion reaction. The reaction was less. I was sleeping longer at night without a hit and still breathing when I did wake up instead of totally clogged.

I even went into town a couple of times and forgot my spray! And didn’t even notice until I got home again. That was unheard of before. Before, I had to have it on my person all the time. Checking and double checking to make sure I had it if I was going somewhere.

At this point, you are spending hardly any money on nose spray at all. You are only buying 1 every so often when you run out of it to make your new strength. And the saline lasts pretty long. I think I used just over two bottles for the whole thing.

One you are at half, you can increase your strength to 3 ml. I don’t recommend going more than that because it is too much of a change to you nose. You don’t want to sabotage yourself. If you want to stay with 2 ml, that is fine. It’s all really your call. You can manipulate it anyway you want, just don’t overdue. You want this to work. Stay comfortable.

And if you get sick, stay on the strength you are on longer until you get well. Or if you are not feeling relief on that strength because you are just too sick, then go back to your previous strength until you are well, not full strength. I got sick a couple of times, but I never had to go backward. I was able to stay on the strength I was on a couple extra days and I was fine.

Same thing once you completely get off the spray. Keep a diluted strength on hand, not more than 25 percent real spray. And if you get desperate when you are sick, use that. But not even then more than recommended. That will keep you from getting in the same situation you were in before.

Anyway, Congratulations, you are off the spray. You did it. Please leave a testimony in my website without giving away the secret, if you please.

There is a new all natural nasal spray on the market that has shown tremendous promise and has recently completed a clinical trial with excellent results. Sinol Nasal Spray is the product. It clears congestion and other allergy and sinus symptoms making this a very exciting new product. We saw Sinol recently at the American Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Conference in Washington DC and have been using it ever since with our patients and the results are very good.

Stop using products with those nasty side effects!!

I believe that Afrin raises your blood pressure. As a kid I was addicted to Afrin. At 15, I went into the hospital for appendicitis and I started fiending for Afrin. The doctors and nurses wouldn't give me any. I was miserable. I was angry. No, I was furious. My sinus doctor told me that I needed to quit Afrin cold turkey. I was already half-way through beating the addiction because of my three days in the hospital following my appendectomy, but having used it for so many years, I also had a psychological addiction to it. I went on and off it and I know what coming off the addiction feels like. It's not as hard as quitting smoking though, and I did that too three years ago.

Anyway, I'm in the army and I decided I wanted to go to officer candidate school (OCS). I also wanted to be able to run easier so I decided to get back on the Afrin because it really opens up the nasal passages. There's open nasal passages and then there's Afrin open nasal passages. During my commissioning physical my blood pressure was elevated -- probably due to the Afrin. I'm the picture of health. Eat right, low cholesterol, running all the time, I even run races, but my blood pressure was too high to go to OCS. Now I have to go and get my pressure checked for several days in a row and I might not be allowed to go to OCS. I checked my own pressure at the chair near the pharmacy in Wal-Mart and it was fine. I strongly believe the elevated blood pressure on the day of my physical is all because of Afrin. My resting heart rate is 52 bps. How does a guy like that have high blood pressure except through some over use of medication. So, now I am again detoxing off the Afrin.

Just a short note. I have argued with doctors and pharmacists for years over tolerance building when using oxymatazoline topical nose sprays. I've been using them for at least 20 years and NEVER need them more than once a day. Usually once every 3 or 4 days at most. Occasionally depending on the activity I may use them more but no rebound effect and no mucosa damage ever.

Now perhaps I just may be different but the idea that someone would panic if they forgot to bring them along seems extreme. Even under the stuffiest conditions a nice hot shower will clear passages. It just the spray is more convenient. I really think that this addiction is overstated by healthcare professionals in order to sell patients prescription drugs. Again perhaps my metabolism is such that I don't develop tolerances for drug as easy as some. I smoke tobacco - real tobacco not Marlboros - 5 or 6 sticks per day. Never had to increase though sometimes I smoke a few more and somedays I don't smoke any. when traveling overseas I may go a week or two with no tobacco. Never a yip.

Don't take the above as medical advice as I may just be the exception. I used to drink a lot of Cuervo Gold tequila. I stopped in one day and never had a reaction and never went back to alcohol. I needed neither AA or God. While I do believe that some people do/may become addicted to any or all of the above, I just want to suggest that addiction intervention is perhaps a bigger business than the substances one becomes addicted to.

IN other words don't let anyone but yourself proclaim you an addict, at least until you relax and try to stop. And trying to stop using any substance (abusing if you will) or other negative behaviors may require replacing that so called addiction with another "passion"

By the way, Saline solutions do not work for me but steam (in a shower does) as does clean ocean water (where one can find it) especially when I get pounded by a big wave.

Control your brain first before you begin freaking out about what doctors and pharmacists may tell you about addiction. And remember there is money to be made by convincing folks they are addicted especially to relatively harmless behaviors. My opinion and experience only. But always include your own best judgement in any diagnosis.

I wanted to take a minute to tell you all my story about how I was able to get off Afrin and still breathe. My mother had been on Afrin for a few years and I had only been using it for a few weeks but I could feel myself falling into that cycle that the docs call Rhinitis Medicamentosa that makes your body come to depend on the effects that Afrin provide. I went to see a fantastic Allergist here in Tucson, AZ and I got a total of 94 shots in my back and arms to test for 47 different allergies. None of them came back positive! He diagnosed me as having Vasomotor Rhinitis which is basically allergy symptoms but not allergies…my sinuses overreact to certain things but I’m not allergic. Anyway, his first priority was to get me off the Afrin and breathing again. Here’s what he prescribed and obviously I’m just a patient but it’s something you might be able to talk to your doc about. My mother did and her doc prescribed the same meds only different dosages and it did the trick as well!

First he got me on Prednisone. This helped within 2-3 HOURS! He told me that I could use Afrin for up to the 2nd day but I didn’t need Afrin after the 2nd HOUR! It was amazing. I was on Prednisone for 4 days and I’ve been off it for 2 days and have not even thought about Afrin. So a total of 6 days without Afrin when before I could barely make it the 12 hours between doses. The Prednisone is not a lifelong med…but it will get your sinuses back to normal so you can stop the Afrin cycle. Now that I can breathe the doc put me on 2 different nasal sprays. I take Nasonex 1 time a day and Astepro 2 times a day. These sprays both have different purposes and compliment each other nicely. In addition to this, the doc had me start using (which I had done before but it never made it far up my nose) Saline spray to help moisten and cleanse my sinuses. I use that 3-4 times a day.

I feel terrific and so does my mother who has been stuck in the miserable cycle of not being able to breath for years! Do your research and talk to your doc…but this might be a good solution for you as well. Best of luck!

hi
actually both you and danlear are both right...ive been using afrin...i was seeing an allergist and he reccommended using a streoid spray
AND afrin together...streoid sprays arent instant relief so the afrin keeps the stuffyness away.i am still using afrin after 40 years and i ju-
st decieded to take his advice after all these years.when he told me i didnt follow it but im going to now.im just telling u this because he
gave this advice originally....but i agress with you...i told my allergist and this is what he suggested to me..

coonsanders

Just FYI. Vicks is very bad for your nasal passages. Over time (and not as long as you would think) Vicks can deteriorate your passages as badly as cocaine. Might want to avoid it.