December 10, 2008
I Have a Nose Spray Addiction – I’m Addicted to Afrin
This is a story on how I relieved my Afrin nose spray addiction with some simple helpful tips.
So there I am standing in the isle of of the drugstore with a head cold and sinus congestion when I see a bottle of Afrin. Twelve hours of nasal congestion relief? Sign me up. I got some important phone calls to make at work and I can’t sound like I’m all stuffed up and sick. I gotta be professional sounding and clear headed.
How My Nose Spray Addiction Started:
There is nothing worse than lying in bed at night trying to go to sleep with a stuffy nose. Finally there was something that I could take before bed that would allow me to breathe threw my nose… nose spray.
The results were phenomenal. A couple of sprays up each nostril and within minutes I was able to breathe through my nose. So I stuck the Afrin in my pocket and it remained there for many weeks.
Why had I never used nose spray before? Why isn’t everyone using nose spray throughout their colds? Well, unfortunately I found out the hard way why it is not a good idea to use Afrin throughout the duration of your head cold.
Why Afrin Has a Hold on Me
There are warnings on the back of the Afrin bottle that explain that you should not use Afrin longer than three days in a row. I did read that warning. I however, did not pay attention to that warning. The sinus clearing results that I got from using nose spray were too good to just stop.
I decided on the fourth night to go ahead and use Afrin for another night.
What I wasn’t aware of when I decided to use Afrin longer than the recommended durations is a little something called rebound congestion. Rebound congestion occurs when vascular constricting properties of nose sprays begin to cause abnormal swelling of the nasal mucosa.
This can block the nasal airway completely, causing extreme discomfort.
Rebound congestion is temporarily relieved by the use of nose spray giving the person a small window of relief. You can see how this can become a vicious circle right? Too much nose spray use causes more nasal congestion that can only be relieved by using even more nose spray… etc., etc.
So the answer to the problem of rebound congestion seems simple right? Just stop using the noses spray and allow your nasal mucosa to return to normal. Well that is much easier said that done. Being unable to breathe properly through your nose can drive you crazy. It can send you running right back to that nose spray even though you know that it’s the nose spray that’s causing the problem.
How I’m Breaking Free from My Afrin Addiction
Now, you could just stop using nose sprays altogether and suffer with your rebound congestion for a couple of weeks until it goes away and you will be broken of your dependence on nose sprays.
I don’t see myself doing that so I have done some reading up on the subject and have begun a one nostril at a time withdrawal program.
What?
That’s right. I still use Afrin in one of my nostrils and am allowing the other nostril to heal.
Once this first nostril is all healed and I can breathe through it, I plan on stopping the use of Afrin in the second nostril. After a little while I will be able to breathe comfortably again through my nose without the use of nose sprays.
So how are you planning on breaking your nose spray addiction? I would love to hear people’s different methods for breaking nose spray addiction.
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Jakob
12/10/2008 at 8:39 pm
Interesting. How long do you think it will take to be Affrin-free? I’m on and off the stuff whenever I’m sick.
Shaina
12/15/2008 at 11:48 am
I’ve been on and off the stuff. I am back on now and I am determined to quit again. It’s been about 7 or 8 months since I’ve been back on it. When I quit it took about 3-4 days to breathe normally again without the stuff. If you’ve been on it for years it could take a couple of weeks. It really suck though I have allergies to pet dander and i live with animals so i always get stuffed up when I’m around them so afrin would save me from that. But i’m going to quit one nostril at a time and use the saline spray and my allergy medicines to help with getting off. Good luck!!
Ken Savage
12/15/2008 at 12:27 pm
Obviously Shaina, you can just get rid of the pets and clean up your place but I’m sure that you thought of that. What about getting a allergy shot prescribed by an allergenist?
Tina
12/24/2008 at 3:40 pm
Just letting you guys know, I have been addicted to nose spray for about 2 years. I started using the Breathe Right strips, and they are working great. So far, so good!
Cynthia
01/12/2009 at 2:23 am
Hi..I am addicted too.:( The problem with me is that i have sleep apnea and have to sleep with a CPAP mask…it blows air through your nose all night to keep the flap in the throat from closing so you don’t stop breathing off and on through the night.If my nose is stuffy ..I can’t use the mask at all (you can’t open your mouth with the mask on..the pressure is so much that if you open your mouth the pressure going in your nose just blows out your mouth.It seems though that if it were making it through to my mouth..than it would be getting past the stuffiness and working correctly after all.However..all I know is that I can not breath with it on if I am stuffy..so..I wake to find it off and then the whole next day is horrible for me…it’s like I only slept about an hour.
Anyway…sorry for the rambling…I really just wanted to know how you were doing..ie;an update.
I did what you are doing the first time i was addicted to this stuff and it worked for me.But the next time I had a bad cold..I succumbed to the spray again.:( This time I think it’s been about 8 mths addicted….and it seems harder for me to go through the one nostril thing.I use breathe right strips,have tried saline, and am also on nasonex.
i heard that a netti pot could help..anyone tried that?
John
01/27/2009 at 3:02 am
Ahhh…. I’m not alone in the world!
I had heard of nasal spray addiction, there was even an episode of “Yes, Dear” dedicated to it, but I had no idea the reality of it!
I started using it at the behest of my Ear-Nose-Throat doctor as a possible way to alleviate snoring until I could get a sleep study done … I was hooked. If I was out w/o it, I would stop and buy some (and at $8 a bottle, not cheap!) … and if I didn’t have any, I was miserable.
Miraculously, one morning I woke up w/ only moderate Affrin-withdraw congestion and decided enough was enough. I went cold turkey and for about 2 days I had moderate congestion (nothing as bad as the usual withdraw) and have stayed away ever since.
“Affrin… here’s to breathing easy!”
Cheers!
Sade
01/28/2009 at 11:10 pm
I started using Affrin when i was about two months pregnant and I’m eight months pregnant now. I am miserable then ever when I run out. I use it about five or six times a day sometimes my throat even starts to hurt because I use it so much. I asked my doctor what to do. He told me to use sudafed it does not work I even tried saline drops its don’t work i tried using a vaporizer it don’t work I don’t know what to do.
Ken Savage
01/29/2009 at 12:24 pm
Sade, have you tried the Sudafed BEHIND the pharmacy counter? Not the PE stuff. That usually works for me.
Also if you’re taking Affrin that often then you have an addiction to it. You gotta continue to use it or get off of it by suffering a bit.
Maybe try 1 side at a time for a few days and slowing ween yourself off?
Let us know how it goes.
niessa
02/04/2009 at 11:27 pm
Sade,
It is not a good idea to take Afrin that often while you are pregnant. It constricts blood vessels, like those in the placenta, and can put you at risk for placental abruption (where the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus). I know this because I am a labor and delivery nurse, and I was addicted to afrin while I was pregnant. I have been off of afrin for 8 years, and just started using it again a few days ago. For some reason it has been nearly impossible for me to stop this time. Its like I jumped right back in a few days to where I had been after using for years.
mackenzie
02/14/2009 at 3:18 am
wow the one one nostril at a time withdrawal program sounds like it might work for me. ok heres how im addicted to the crap well i was so severly congested i went to the er thinking they would probly tell me that its my allergies (im elergic to everything but wood food even grass and even never herd of this before im elergic to tar likr=e the tar in roads) so as im sitting uncomfrtble in the little rom the doctor strolls in and and says what im going to have you do is go to wal-mart and buy a bottle of afrin personaly ive never herd of the stuff before being that i was 14 at the time well im 15 no and the stuff the first time i used it was great i slept like a baby for the first time in a week. well after i knew I was addicted it started to not work for me so I switched to the afrin no drip severe congestion. and its starting not to work and im having to use almost 5 sprays in each side of my nose and im going through a bottle a week and alot of people think im trying to be lie normal teens and use drugs as drugs well u know what i mean but im not that kind of kid anyways do u think the method of using it in one nostral will work and if anyone has ever done this please let me know how it works im getting tired of using this shit and using atleast two bottles a week. ok thanks heres my email bigmackburger@yahoo.com,
thanks,
Mackenzie F.
niessa
02/14/2009 at 4:12 pm
Mackenzie,
You need to see a different doctor!! If you have really severe allergies you will need to get that under control with daily meds, maybe shots. Using afrin in only one nostril at a time will be helpful, but the reason you started using it probably has not gone away, and it will make it harder to stop. I would recommend seeing an allergy specialist, and ask him/her if they can help you to stop using Afrin, maybe with a steroid + antibiotic + decongestant. I hope you are able to get this under control, and feel better soon!
April Hutcheson
03/01/2009 at 6:39 pm
I have a website I just got started. It’s for people with nose spray addiction. I was addicted myself, then I discovered a method that works when everything didn’t. I provide instruction on how to withdrawel completely and with ease while breathing through the whole process. check it out becuase it could change your life. I was on spray for 8 years and I want to get the info out there so other people can be helped too.
Ken
04/28/2009 at 5:35 am
I’d like to read your website. I’m hooked again. Can’t take most meds because I have high blood pressure. Saline is a waste of time. The pollen that started all this is still in the air. Been down this road before. I know where it leads and really don’t want to go there.
Thanks,
Ken
April Hutcheson
04/28/2009 at 10:59 am
If you just click on my name, It should take you to my website, but it is SprayFree4Me dot com. However, the website is down right at the moment, I am trying to fix it. It hopefullly will be back up today. I have been revising it so it holds more information.
and yes, I understand where you are coming from. I believe my method will help you get off the nose spray, but you should see an ear, nose and throat doctor for your allergies. I have them too, bad. You might need allery medicine or allergy shots. I do. You have to get your underlying cause treated while you are getting off the spray so that you don’t have the congestion from your allergies going on.
TulsaTom
10/22/2009 at 2:44 pm
you’re website charges before you will give any information. that sucks. you’re comments here are just advertising.
vandal
10/23/2009 at 11:29 am
Yeah why does it seem like everyone wants to help and then you realize that they want money first?
LLeBlanc
03/10/2009 at 1:58 pm
Years ago, I was also addicted to Afrin for a few months. I could go nowhere without carrying along my bottle of “sniffs.” Once, on the way to a business meeting across the state, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten my sniffs. Panic stricken, I drove 40 miles out of the way to find a drugstore that sold Afrin nosespray.
I used the little red Sudafed decongestant pills to get off of the Afrin. It worked like a charm. Needless to say, I have never used a nasal decongestant spray again.
April Hutcheson
03/17/2009 at 5:07 pm
also, I wanted to say that taking sudafed decongestant doesn’t work for most people. and you are getting on a decongestant with another decongestant. and you said you were addicted for a few months. it is a little easier then. but a lot of people are addicted for years. and it is harder and harder.
LIsa
03/21/2009 at 7:20 am
I am 9 months pregnant and have 30 more days left until I have my baby. I was using Afrin only at night for a while but now need it all day long. Without it I start to panic. My fear is after I have the baby I will still be addicted to Afrin. I want to stop now but due to pregnancy my nose will most likely still be congested and I won’t be able to tell if I am no longer addicted to Afrin. My OB doctors says that my body will change after the baby is here and I will just be able to stop. I have to use it about once every 3-4 hours but having panic that it will just stop working. Anyone ever been pregnant and just stopped the habit after the baby came.
April Hutcheson
03/21/2009 at 6:32 pm
Hi, lisa, I wanted to reply to you becuase that is exacly how I got addicted to nasal spray. While I was pregnant with my son. No, you do not just go back to not being addicted to it after the baby. not unless you are super lucky and you didn’t over do it before. I also had panic attacks when I didn’t use it. That is one of the reasons I had such trouble getting off the stuff. I was on it for eight years. Unless you stop the cycle, that could be you. I was even panicking during the birth of my son becuase of needing the nose spray. I tried everything. I researched to see what I could come up with. I tried various things listed on the web. cold turkey, one nostril, rhinostat. nothing worked. but then I finally figured out what did. that is why I created my website. I give lots of info and detailed instructions on how to get off of it. it works great for those of us who have panic attacks becuase you can breath through the whole thing. you can get started right away before your addiction gets worse. I was using it every 15 min. it won’t take you as long to get off if you get started now. click on my name and it will get you to my website. also feel free to email me if you have questions. my email address is also on the website. what do you have to lose?
Whitney
05/03/2009 at 8:34 am
April, my mouth dropped open when I read this. I too have panick attacks when I don’t have my afrin and I had the WORST panic attack a few weeks ago when I was in labor with my son. I had to get my sister to sneak my afrin to me when my husband and the nurse were out of the room. I’m going to check out your website now. Wish me luck!
April Hutcheson
05/03/2009 at 3:35 pm
yes. I was very paniked with my babies too. My first son, that is when I got addicted. And I remember, I had to go in the hospital early becuase of my blood pressure and I had only one bottle of nose spray with me and it was close to being empty. I made my mother go to the store and buy me a new bottle so I would have it with me. that was 7 years ago. And then with my second son, which was 3 years ago, I had to hide my nose spray in the pocket of the hospital gown when i went in for my C-section. That’s how panicked I was to be without it. Now, I am clear of all of that becuase of the method I came up with. It took a long time for me to figure this out, but it is the ONLY thing that worked for me. I would appreciate it is others would go to my website and leave their stories in my guestbook.
Tina McAdams
11/18/2009 at 8:32 pm
April! You are such a selling vulture. Were you really ever addicted to Afrin? I mean you seem to have a lot of the same symptoms that everyone has had. It’s like someone posts “I had anxiety attacks” and you’re all “oh wow, me too!” You are using a public forum for addiction to pimp your product. Not cool.
April Hutcheson
11/19/2009 at 12:10 am
firsty, I was not addicted to Afrin. I was addicted to 4-way nasal spray. and yes, I was addicted and for 8 years. I have never made a statement on this sight or any other that is not true. And it really pisses me off for those of you that are mad becuase I want to charge 8.00. You are either willing or you arn’t. and my method works. you people are pissed off at this, but as one of my clients said, it is okay to pay mega dollars for diet pills that don’t work, but not okay for me to charge this little bit and for something that works. And how is it helping anybody for me to talk on this sight and not say anything about my website when it helps. and the reason I have the same symptoms is becuase they are common with everyone that has this problem. You bad mouth me without even seeing what I have to offer. and for your info, I don’t charge everyone. there has been a handful of specail cases that I talk to and give my method to for free. and also why is it that no one seems to bad mouth all the other nose spray methods that charge way more that I do.
Donna
05/02/2009 at 11:55 am
I was addicted to 4-way nasal spray for almost 8 years back in the ’80s. It started when I ran into 7-11 one night with a stuffy nose and I bought my first bottle. What relief! Before I knew it, I had a bottle in my nightstand, one in the kitchen, one in my purse, one in my desk at work. I had to spray every 3 or 4 hours, around the clock. I would try to get off it every so often, but was just too miserable, even doing the one nostril at a time thing. This went on for 8 years, until I happened to mention it to my son’s Ear, Nose, Throat doctor. He gave me a 10 day prescription of oral steroid medication and that did the trick. I hate that I spent 8 years of my life addicted to the spray, and am thankful I didn’t suffer any health consequences as a result.
April Hutcheson
05/03/2009 at 3:37 pm
I am glad that a steroid spray worked for you. What works for some, may or may not work for others. I am confident that my method will work for everybody as long as they stick to the instructions and go slowly. 4-way was the one I was addicted to.
Cyndi
05/03/2009 at 4:00 pm
April,
I checked out your website and noticed it says that you want to help but…why 8.00?If you REALLY wanted to help and actually have ground breaking information for an addiction..why wouldn’t you just share it with the world?(no offense or anything..just too many scams out there..and maybe you are not one of them but I am skeptical of people who say they have all the answers and breakthrough methods but only IF you pay money for it.)
PS…has anyone on here from previous posts paid and tried April’s method?
I would love to hear honest reviews.
April Hutcheson
05/04/2009 at 10:48 am
I understand your skepticism and you should be careful. there are a lot of scams out there. I am not one of them. I do want to help people, but just becuase I want to also make some secondary income in this ecomony does not make me a bad person.
There are people all over the internet that charge for information that could be free. I have worked very hard. If I posted my method free on a couple of blogs, chances are a handful of people would see it. I am trying to get to as many people as possible. My website cost money. It has cost me money to promote it and It has cost me a lot of time. And I am working hard to make this website a one-stop place for infomration with most of the infomration being free. As of yet, I have made no profit on this. All of it has gone back into it plus addictional money from my own pocket. But I am like anyone else. I am married, have three kids and my family makes about 45,000 a year combined. I have to make a living. I charge 8.00 for something that I truely believe in, when others charge way, way more. I tried to make this as cheap as I could without putting me in a hole.
As far as others who have tried my method, there arn’t many yet. I have a few testimonials on my website, but I don’t have anyone that has finished my method yet. I have only been doing this since end of feb. But I have a few people that are making good progress. that is all I can say. I wish I could offer a money back guarantee, but once you read the report, you have read it. I can’t give back money on that.
Ken Savage
05/11/2009 at 11:59 pm
April, since you’re practically advertising here on my website, why don’t you send me the product and I’ll review it and let viewers here know whether or not it is a quality product.
Hell I’ll even link directly to your site and promote it for ya.
Cyndi
05/12/2009 at 12:58 am
Now that is an awesome idea!
Whitney
05/12/2009 at 5:16 am
Hi Ken,
I went to my Dr yesterday for help with my Afrin addiction. I do not know how they keep this stuff on the market. It should at least be behind the counter with the Sudafed, really. Anyway, she prescribed a prednizone (Sp?) tapering dose pack, which I’m starting today, and a steroid nosespray (Nasonex). She said I should be fine in 6 days, but that I would benefit from using the Nasonex for a few weeks. I will keep you posted.
I felt like such a junkie at the doctor’s office. You should’ve seen the look she gave me! You would think I was telling her I’m hooked on cocaine, though I’m sure cocaine isn’t half as good as Afrin!
Whitney
Cyndi
05/12/2009 at 2:32 pm
Whitney,
I have the prednisone too…the tapering pack.About 3 mths ago I tried prednisone (it wasn’t a tapering pack though just a dosing schedule that my doc gave me.The side effects were too intense for me so I only lasted on it for like 3 days but in those three days I went from using Afrin so many times a day I lost count to using it only before bed and then about mid-day.So if you can handle the prednisone….it will work wonders.
sad to say that for about a week and a half my usage has increased again.Not as bad as before but bad enough.
I really want to give prednisone another chance and have that pack here when i’m ready.
I was wondering if you could let us know how the side effects are for you…and your age (if you don’t mind) and if you are a smoker etc.I am 35,a smoker…and have some anxiety.I just imagine prednisone may react differently on say 20 somethings vs 30 somethings and so on.
My son is distracting me like crazy..so I hope all that came out readable.lol
Good Luck!
Whitney
05/12/2009 at 11:44 pm
Hi Cyndi,
I am 33. My Dr explained this is these are the same prescriptions she gave me when I was in my 20s for this same reason and it worked, so the same Dr is trying it again with me. I didn’t notice any side effects the first time in my 20s but I’m wondering if I’m noticing some now. I just started with the 6 pills today and tonight I’m having joint pain and a headache that is so uncomfortable, but I’m not sure if that was from this medicine or not. I figure since it is tapering, maybe today is the worst day either way… I haven’t noticed anything else, but will keep you posted. I’m not sure if I told you I started Zyrtec about 2 weeks ago too, so together I’m trying Zyrtec, I started my Nasonex yesterday and the prednisone today. I did not need my nosepray at all this entire day UNTIL just now before bed. As soon as I tried to lie down, I got stuffy and the Nasonex wasn’t helping. But considering I have Afrin bottles everywhere and then keep one in my pocket and use several sprays each time I use it, this one spray tonight is a HUGE improvement. I’m accrediting that mainly to the Nasonex though this early because I’ve been using that today instead of the Afrin. The Dr said Prednisone and Nasonex together are the key. Also, no I’m not a smoker anymore. I was smoking in my 20s when I was on this the first time though but like I said I don’t think I had any problems then. I’m sorry you’re getting back on the increase currently. I was off of it for years and then had this bad allergy attack with congestion lasting for days and I still remember standing in the aisle at the store convincing myself I’d only use it for 3 days. That was 2 and 1/2 years ago. It is just so easy… I’ll keep you posted this week!
Whitney
Crystal
05/11/2009 at 10:27 pm
So I read all these stories and can relate.. I am addicted to afrin and i am 8 months pregnant. My nose hurts from using it and im trying so hard not to use it.. I have tried everything.. every medicine .. the neti pot EVERYTHING.. nothing works like afrin.. but the oxymetazoline is horrible for you., and I am having the rebound congestion. Curious to know April.. whats the ingredients in your sprayfree4me?.. please let me know and email me at cjohnson3108@yahoo.com and let me know im curious to buy some.. just want to know whats in it. thanks
Whitney
05/12/2009 at 11:59 pm
Crystal,
I’m not sure if you are as bad off as I was, but I would say you should bring Breathe Right strips with you to the hospital. The clear ones for sensitive skin work the best. They have a stronger grip than the tan colored original ones so they help open your passages up more. I was in such a mess during my delivery that I didn’t even care about the pain from labor! I mean, can you imagine? They wouldn’t let me sit up at all and I can’t breathe when I lie flat on my back so I panicked. They brought in a fan to blow in my face, so that may help you if your hospital has one. (I have NO idea why they didn’t give me oxygen…) I ended up using my Afrin during the delivery so if you’re comfy doing that then have it with you. Good luck and congratulations on your baby!! Also, if you haven’t tried prednisone, you may want to consider it when you’re able to take it. I’m doing the 6 day dose tapering pack this week, and I’ll post updates on this site this week as Ken asked us to write what we’re trying. -Whitney
April Hutcheson
05/13/2009 at 7:15 am
I know what you mean about panicking duriing childbirth. I had a c-section, but I was like you, they wanted to lie me flat, and I coudln’t breathe and for some reason, they didn’t give me oxygen. and I was having a panick attack. I had my nose spray in my hospital gown pocket, but in the position I was in, I really couln’t spray enough to relieve me. Plus I was scared to death as it was. and to boot, the anetheaologist told me I was acting like a baby. My husband wanted to punch him. and now, i am going in tomorrow morning for lapband surgury. I am free from the nose spray this time, so I won’t have to worry about that. but I am still scared to death the close it gets to tomorrow. anyway, good luck with the methods you are trying. predisonze can make you gain weight and kind of swell up, kind of puffy in the face and increase your appetite. one of you said you had headache and it can cause that. I am not sure about the nervousness. and the nasonex is good for allergy control. It is always good to get treatment for any underlying problems you have like allergies, so that when you try to get off the spray, it works. good luck.
April Hutcheson
05/12/2009 at 7:43 am
Hi, Crystal and Ken. I can’t tell you the specific ingredients here, once the full secret is out, then my business is done for. I do want to help people, but I do want to make a living too just like everyone else. I will tell you that one ingredient was recommended to me by my ear, nose and throat dr. And the entire method is safer than what you are doing now. And it will work. I am 100 percent confindent about that. You just have to decide whether it is worth it to you to try it. Ken, I would love for you to link to me, but I can’t send you the product for you to do it. It is just a method and you have the tools already. And I would never ask you to promote it unless you are addicted to nose spray, bought my method, used it and it worked for you. I just want people to know that I went through all this for 8 years. I got on it when I was pregnant. I had the panic attacks. I had the terrible rebound congestion. I took the bottles everywhere I went, even room to room in my house. I freaked if I had an almost empty bottle and hadn’t bought a new one yet. My nose hurt, my blood pressure kept going up. I also wanted to get lapband surgury, but coudn’t because the dr wouldn’t do it while I was on nose spray. That is when I really seriouly began trying to find a way to get off. That was three years ago. I had tried many times before, but I was set on doing it now. It took three years for me to figure out how to do it. The answer was simple, but yet I hadn’t thought of it until recently. I used the method and I am sprayfree completly now. and I feel free. It is amazing once you realize that you don’t have to carry a bottle with you all the time or worry about all those problems associated wiith it. And now, I am finally geting my lapband surguy this very week. So you decide.
Whitney
05/17/2009 at 2:19 pm
Hi everyone,
I wanted to give an update – I took my last dose of the Prednisone pack today (I started on Tuesday with 6 pills, and tapered down to one pill today). I haven’t used my Afrin since Wednesday and I don’t even need the Nasonex now. I feel wonderful and I can breathe and for the first time in 25 straight months, I am throwing away my Afrin for good! I really recommend the prednisone. I did gain weight (about 4 lbs) but I kept drinking water because I noticed my fingers seemed to swell and my face got puffy and flushed. It seemed to be more of a water retention problem than actual weight gain, but I expect to get back to normal now that I’m finished with the pack. The water did help me with this. Like I said, I had some joint pain the first night which I read is a side effect of prednisone, but other than that all was fine. Good luck everyone!
Sherri
05/20/2009 at 1:44 am
The answer is so simple I can’t believe I’ve not seen it anywhere else. I was addicted too and broke it by simply going cold turkey one nostril at a time. Took about two weeks for each. As long as I could breath out of one nostril, I was fine. Once the first nostril cleared up enough for me to breath through it, I quit Afrin altogether and just had to wait for the second one to clear up.
Rocky
06/02/2009 at 12:44 am
Hey everyone! I was addicted to Afrin Nasal Spray for a long time. My story is very similar to a lot of those already posted. I would get sick and use the spray for months at a time. One time I tried to quit cold turkey and it was HORRIBLE! So a few years ago I figured I would try something new, so I went down to Walgreen’s and I tried this stuff called Benzedrex. It comes in a small tube, kind of like a Vick’s inhaler. I thought I’d give it a shot, and see if it would work better than Afrin and break the addiction. I was very happy with the results because it works really good! It takes a few minutes to kick in, but it cleared up my sinuses fast. I must caution you when you use it, because it does burn and sting a little, but it works so good it is worth it. I used it for a few days, and after that my congestion went away completely. Now I use Benzedrex whenever I get sick and will never use Afrin again. But don’t overuse Benzedrex, cuz the label says it can be addicting as well.
mayra t
06/15/2009 at 2:47 am
hi everyone I’m addicted to afrin. it started when i was pregnant with my 2nd child. i started to have a stuffy nose then my doctor told me to use afrin. and i been using it for almost one year now. I am trying to get rid of it, I’m trying not to use it no more but i cant. i also been taking over the counter claritin but it doesn’t work. so does anybody have any tips i could use to help me quit using afrin, thank you i would really appreciate it if you would write back.
LIsa
06/23/2009 at 10:23 pm
Anyone who is addicted to Afrin should go see and ENT. They can prescribe you some steroids to help you stop using Afrin. I was prescribed Prednisone and by the first evening I had a little bit of air. Enough not to have to use the AFrin. It still took a while using the steroids but it really helped a lot.
April Hutcheson
06/15/2009 at 9:01 pm
Mayra, look at my website. It has a lot of info about nose spray addiction with includes afrin. I was addicted for eight years. I finally got off. the website will tell you how you can get off it for good. I got addicted when I was pregnant too from the pregnancy hormornes that give you the stuffy nose. And I have lots of good testimony now that is in favor of my method. I can’t believe your doctor actally told you to use afrin. every doctor I have met is agaist OTC nose sprays becuase they know what can happen. good luck.
LIsa
06/22/2009 at 8:55 pm
Anyone who is addicted to Afrin should go see and ENT. They can prescribe you some steroids to help you stop using Afrin. I was prescribed Prednisone and by the first evening I had a little bit of air. Enough not to have to use the AFrin. It still took a while using the steroids but it really helped a lot.
April Hutcheson
07/02/2009 at 3:17 pm
I just wanted to say that yes, steroids can help you breath easier, but it doestn’ help very much in the addiction fight. You still can’t breath while you are using it and you still want to use nose spray. and Prednisone will make your skin puffy and cause weight gain. It makes you want to eat all the time.
LIsa
07/24/2009 at 1:06 pm
I would rather eat and gain weight for a little while then be stuck on Afrin for years. I am sure there are down falls to any method someone is trying but the steroids helps the swelling in your nose go down which gives you air to breath. With the little air it gives each day, maybe an individual can have some will power not to use nose spray.
Cyndi
07/02/2009 at 11:36 pm
Prednisone (Corticosteroids) may not help with the actual addiction but they WILL help you survive the rebound while you stop using the afrin.
They are AMAZING at helping you breath while you are withdrawing/rebounding.
Generally you will be on them for about 6 days and the first day of the steriods you will probably still need the afrin but by the second day and with a tiny bit of will power you will be… for the most part comfortably withdrawing.After 5 days of no afrin most people will be over the rebound.
They may not work for everyone …but nothing will.I do believe they are most people’s best bet.
Ps..Corticosteroids are serious drugs…not something that you want to casually take.Make sure they are prescribed by your doctor and the dosing instructions are followed.
whitney
07/03/2009 at 3:43 pm
I posted above that I gained 4 lbs and had a puffy face and fingers when I took prednisone for my Afrin addiction. I did NOT feel hungry. I was just gaining weight without eating more. I finished the pack in the 6 days and the following week the puffiness and extra 4lbs on the scale went away day by day. 6 days of puffiness was WELL worth it to me. I’m completely medicince free now. Decide for yourself.
If you’re like I was, if you’re so bad off that you actually found this website, I’m begging you to see your doctor. Prednisone or not, your doctor will have the best option for you. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!
LIsa
07/24/2009 at 1:08 pm
I agree with you completely.
Lia
07/28/2009 at 5:43 am
I was addicted to nostrilla nasal spray for about 2 years. I felt absolutely hopeless until just a few months ago, i visited an ear nose & throat doctor. He prescribed me with prednosine tablets (as mentioned above) and after about 5 or so days of taking them, I was nasal-spray free and able to breathe out of my nose perfectly. Yes, I had to deal with a lot of discomfort during those 5 days, but it was SO worth it. Seriously, anyone who is suffering from this should know that it is not as hard as you may think to break the habit and live your life normally again
April Hutcheson
09/12/2009 at 1:50 pm
I just like to leave an update here occasionally to help keep the site updated. I was addicted for 8 years to nose spray. Started with pregnancy. tried everything and was very discouraged. I finally came up with an idea on how to quit and I still think it is the best method out there. I am currently trying to send it to ear, nose and throat doctors all over US My site has can get you to the method to stop too. but most importanly, go to my site for free info on nose spray addiction. This has most anything you need or want to know and it also has a links page that goes to just about everything other site on internet about nose spray addiction. so one stop place. Good luck to everyone. I know what you are going through.
Andrew
09/23/2009 at 3:36 am
The Afrin Addiction consumed a huge part of my life. I got addicted to the stuff when I was around 7th grade actually. Once in a while i’d be thankful that my doctor would inject me with a steroid that helped for a few months but never actually cured my addiction to the Afrin. So after I had graduated Highschool.. I went on for a few years still addicted….
Eventually I said enough was enough and just went cold turkey. I couldn’t breath through my nose for days so i also couldn’t sleep for days. But I’ve been off the stuff for about 5-7 years now? I do use it once in a while when i have a cold. But thankfully i haven’t fallen back into the addiction. Because I take the whole 3 days thing VERY VERY SERIOUS.
However my sister and my mother tend to still get addicted to the stuff.
Atrox
09/27/2009 at 10:06 pm
3+year addiction to Afrin (every 3-4 hours- I have pretty bad allergies in addition to the addiction). I tried numerous times to quit by weaning and cutting the Afrin with saline, but with bad allergies, it just was not enough. Went to ENT, got 10 days of oral prednisone and Nasonex. First day/night and second day were miserable. Up most of the first nigh staring at the Afrin bottle, but held firm and did not cheat. Feeling great now and glad to be off the Afrin (I will always need allergy meds, so the non-addictive Nasonex is a better choice for me).
whitney
09/28/2009 at 4:07 am
Atrox,
I hope you continue to get better! Your description of being up most of the night staring at the bottle made me laugh so I wanted to write. I have been there before many, many nights, and I also used prednisone to get better. I still say I do not know how Afrin is still on the market.
Take care,
Whitney
Jennifer
10/01/2009 at 5:51 pm
I am 21 wks pregnant and have been addicted to afrin for about 4 months. I used it one night against my better judgement when I just could not breathe at all and wanted to sleep SO bad. I tried to go off it cold turkey on Tuesday and I was miserable, so when my husband came home I told him to go to the store and get me some. He came home and brought me not Afrin but a generic store brand that isnt Oxymethalizone (sp?) but Phenylephrine Hydrochloride. I didnt even realize it was different until after I used it a few times. I didnt think it was good to take Phenylephrine while pregnant so I sent him back to the store for Afrin and now the Afrin does not work on me anymore since using the other stuff. I try to go cold turkey but my whole face gets swollen and then I start gagging from not breathing and I throw up…so I give in and I am using the Phenylephrine in one nostril and only in both at night. Problem is that it only lasts about an hour…an HOUR can you believe it? I am miserable…all I think about is my scheduled C-Section in January and how am I going to use my decongestant while being operated on? I ordered the Rhinostat system today, has anyone had success?
Kimberly
10/04/2009 at 11:26 am
Hi Ken,
I just stumbled across your website… I just currently moved to Germany with my husband for him to attend grad school. And… I just ran out of Mucinex nose spray. Yikes. I have never thought of myself as having an addiction. However, I was googling how I could ship Mucinex, Afrin.. heck, any kind of nose spray over here and stumbled across nose spray addiction sites. In Germany, I haven’t found a nose spray yet that has Oxymetazoline… instead, they are all saline sprays. So, I bought a bottle of the saline spray yesterday when I started freaking out that I was almost done w/ the Mucinex. I didn’t even realize it was a saline spray until I translated the bottle. I woke up about 5 times throughout the night not being able to breathe. It was horrible. It only brought relief for an hour or maybe a few hours… but not complete relief
. However, I am still using the saline spray whenever my nose is stuffy because it’s all I have now… well, that and Flonase but, it doens’t seem to help. I spent a lot of money getting all this Flonase so hopefully it will start working. I also have year round allergies which isn’t helping anything. Basically, after reading a few websites and reading this website, I’ve come up with the fact that maybe I am addicted to nose spray. Kind of embarrassing. My husband agrees so I guess I am. I didn’t want to think I was because my nose will completely shut if I don’t use it…so I just assumed there was something wrong with my nose. It all started back in the Spring of 2006 when I got a bad cold. I started using nose spray and have been on it daily since. I would keep 2 bottles in my purse just so I always had a backup. Honestly, not only does it get expensive but due to the fact that I can’t find my “drug of choice” over here, I guess I have to get off of it. I start freaking out when I can’t breathe through my nose… I cannot STAND that feeling. Can anyone tell me how long (days) this rebound congestion will lasts for? Please! And, are you sure it will just stop one day? I guess I’m just not sure what to expect and the thought of being severely congested for days is kind of depressing/scary. Also, after a few days the congestion will just stop? How is that possible? I just want to be normal again 
Oh, and can I keep using the saline spray throughout this whole process? Please say yes 
April Hutcheson
10/04/2009 at 6:39 pm
Hi, kimberly, I feel for you. I know the anxiety you are feeling, and I can’t imagine being in a country that doesn’t have the nose spray you are addicted to. I just wanted to say that I have found that it is kind of individual to how long the congestion will last., some get over it after a few days, some it takes up to 10 days. and it will be harder for you becuase you have allergies. I do too. And I had to get treatment for the allergies also. Keep using the saline. It won’t help but so much, but it is non addictable, and ear, nose and throat doctors recommend it for helping and clearing out nasal passages. the flonase will help with allergies too. but depending on how bad your allergies are, you might need more help. I wish you good luck.
April Hutcheson
10/05/2009 at 12:29 am
Jennifer, that is how I got addicted to nose spray. when I was pregnant with my first son eight years ago. I had pregnancy induced congestion, same as you. It is almost impossible to get off the nose spray while you are still pregnant unless you want misery. and it is just almost impossible to withstand. It will not directly hurt the baby. but you have to keep watch on your blood pressure beucase the spray can cause high blood pressure if used much and long term. the rhinostat system may work, but you shoudl be warned that you have to be only usuing your spray every six hours before you can start the system and then there is very little spray for you to use before you change dilution. it didn’t work for me. my method worked and if you email me, I will send you the method free. You have already spent money on rhinostat, and I don’t want you to spend more. when you email, list sprayfree4me in subject line.
April Hutcheson
10/05/2009 at 12:32 am
also, jennifer, I forgot to tell you that the c-section isn’t easy. I had two of them while on the nose spray. I had panic attacks. I just made sure that I sprayed rigth before they took me in surgury. also, ask for oxygen if they will give it to you. It helps make you think you are breathing better. also have a good support system to be there and help keep your mind off your nose. my second c-section while on spray, I acutally hid my spray in the hospital gown pocket, but didn’t use it. but I felt better having it with me. and let your ob/gyn know. sometimes it helps to know they know why you are freaking out if you do. good luck.
April Hutcheson
10/22/2009 at 5:58 pm
Tulsa tom, my comments are not just advertising. If you will read them all, you will see that a good handful say absolutely nothing about my website. And of coarse, I charge before I give out the method for nose spray withdrawal. Do you go to the store and they let you take out the merchandise before you pay for it? no. I don’t know why everyone is always so mad becuase I charge 8.00 for my method. all these other methods online charge a whole heck of a lot more, and they don’t even work. I provide all the other info about nose spray addiction on my site free. I am trying to make a living just like everyone else, but I also know that my method is not a lie and it works. And everyone that seems to knock it haven’t even seen what it is about or tried it including you.
TulsaTom
10/22/2009 at 7:09 pm
well, nobody wants to pay for something that may not even work, not knowing what it is, with just your hype to go to your website and buy it. here’s what does work. ONLY SPRAY ONE NOSTRIL, THE WORST ONE AND THEN STOP SPRAYING ALTOGETHER IN A FEW DAYS. IT WORKS AND THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THE INFORMATION.
Jenn A
11/02/2009 at 9:33 pm
April – No one is mad at you, I just don’t think is the appropriate place to advertise your product. Ken’s nice enough to post some information out here on his OWN WEBSITE in order to help people, and you’re out here “trying to make a living”. That’s not the purpose of this blog. Do your own advertising and stop hijacking blogs, ok?
Jennifer
10/23/2009 at 1:59 pm
I just have to let everyone know that I wasted over 30.00 on Rhinostat and it did not work. What they dont tell you on the website is that you have to be down to using the spray only once every 4-6 hours for the system to work. I used mine at least every 2 hours so that ytwas not helpful at all. They offer a way to “wean” yourself down to 4-6 hours by adding 15 min increments to your spray time, but that was not practical for me.
April Hutcheson was kind enough to send me her system AT NO CHARGE just like she promised in a prior posting, and I must say I feel very positive about it, I am due to give birth soon and I know that if I follow her directions I will not have to ask my fiancee to smuggle Afrin into the delivery room. Thank you April for helping me out, I truly appreciate it!!
In response to TulsaTom…The one nostril thing does not work for everyone. In my case, I have a deviated septum and dont breathe well out of my right nostril. I tried to do the one nostril method and it did not work because I was not getting enough air out of my right nostril alone…I needed both to breathe!! And I am sure I am not the only one with this issue.
Freddy
10/25/2009 at 9:15 am
I have been addicted to nose drops for two years. It was awful, the expense, I always carried it on me, I’d secretly use it when I “needed relief”. It was terrible. Last week, on Tuesday, I used it several times and was getting no relief from it. After two years I couldn’t get my fix. I went to the Pharmacist and asked what I could do. He said I had rebound congestion and I had to quit because it wasn’t good for me. I already knew that. He said my red blood vessels in my mucous membranes were probably engorged and my nasal passage will close up. He said it would take about a week of hell in order for the membranes to heal and to get back to normal. I decided to do it. I had no choice, my nasal passage was completely blocked and no air was going through. It was awful. I had to breathe through my mouth. My lips were chapped, I had to drink lots of fluids, and I couldn’t talk normal. My friend said I sounded like a robot because I couldn’t breathe through my nose. The first and second nights were hell. Especially the first night. I was up all night, wanting and wishing I could have my fix. I bought the Breathe Right strips and it didn’t help since my membranes were swollen. I tried saline solution to help flush out the nose, did the steam to add relief but it didn’t work. I used mentholatum under each nostril and it didn’t help. It was cold turkey without relief but I knew I had to do it. The third night was easier, I used the strips and slept for 5 hours. The most I slept in two days. Today, day four, it’s a lot better. I can breathe about 80% better today. I’ll still use the strips tonight, they help out. I should be completely normal in another three days. Just like the Pharmacist said, one week. It’s hard, very, very hard to quit. But if I could do it anyone can. I’m a weak guy and have no patience. It was hell at the beginning but was worth it. I’ll never do nose drops again. Good luck.
Terra
10/30/2009 at 5:27 pm
I too have been addicted before..It sucks.. I have used all available antibiotics to get rid of sinus infections, they always come back…I stay on pseudofed from am to pm to breathe and keep my allergies ar bay..it works..get the one from the pharmacy though. I also researched a natural way to help with my sinus infections etc. and found collidal silver. You can dilute it with saline and use it as a nasal spray and it really helps! There’s also ecinechia and goldenseal..the goldenseal helps with your mucous and the echinecia to help fight off colds etc. You can make a tea out of oregano that can really help if you are super congested! I have helped many a sick person with this tea..Make it til it’s light green and add honey and lemon and sweeten to taste.
Good luck and happy breathing
C
11/09/2009 at 10:22 pm
My husband is completely addicted to afrin. This is probly going on the 4th year of continuous use. It is in every vechical, diaper bag, my purse, bedroom, and theres even a bottle at my parents house just in case he needs it when we go there to eat/visit. He has had breathing problems since he was a child, he is now 30. He has severe rebound conjestion and now is complaining of fatigue, inability to sleep or breathe deeply. I am very worried and have tried to get him to stop using it but its he says he feels like he is suffocating if he doesnt use it. So what would be the best thing to do? make an appt with an allergist or start with our family dr? He doesnt think goin to dr will help because he’s been on every allergy medication/shots with no results. Also we have been to a surgeon that suggested nasal surgery but we would like to try somethin less invasive if possible
LIsa
11/10/2009 at 3:28 am
Make an appointment with an ENT soon as possible. They are professionals and seriously will help.
Valery
11/10/2009 at 12:16 am
Hi, I just wanted to share with you something I tried and actually helped. I’m 26 yrs old and I’ve been addicted to nasal spray (actually my favorite was the CVS brand spray bottle) since I was 15. In high school, people always thought I was running to the bathroom constantly when I really just wanted to spray my nose. I always carried a purse so I can have a place to keep it with me. It wasn’t until this past summer my husband noticed how often I would have all day runny noses or how I complained that I was getting more and more addicted. He went to a local drug store and bought me a bottle of Alkalol, a “soothing nasal wash, mucus solvent and cleaner.” The bottle says its been around since the 1800’s. Anyway, what I did after I tried using this solely in my nose with no avail, was added it to a half full bottle of my nose spray. It added a slight menthol scent which I liked. The important thing, I still felt like the nasal spray cleared my nose. Then when the bottle was a quarter empty, I filled it again with the Alkalol. So it was twice diluted. By that time about 2 weeks later, i felt less of a need to use it as often. Then when that bottle finished I just filled it with the alkalol. So there maybe was a tiny bit of nasal spray in there but hardly. By the end of that bottle i had gone threw a full day and not used it once. I decided that night to try to go one day without it. I was stuffy and had to sleep on my back but i survived. And the next day and day after. 3 months later still no nose spray. Try looking up the product online for its ingredients if you cant find the same thing near you. Please try it though, i always felt like my nasal spray addiction was my dirty little secret. Not anymore.
C
11/10/2009 at 4:30 pm
Thanks! i will try it
gwen
11/11/2009 at 11:35 pm
I used 4-way for 10 years!!! I couldn’t stop. My dr. prescribed me steiroids. Plus flonase…that took care of it immediately…ahhhh i can breath by myself again!!!
Matt
11/14/2009 at 4:45 am
I have been addicted to afrin for 25 years, and because of my high blood pressure I had to get off it. I have tried many many times, but this time I went to an Ears Nose Throat MD, he said I had a deviated septum(SP?) Anyway he gave me a shot and then some steriod nose spray to use 2 shots each nostril twice a day. One night one I found that 2 “breathe right” strips helped and I am on day 4 and still WITHOUT AFRIN. Last time I did it was before the EENT MD. I still keep my afrin bottle around, like at work in my car and not in my pocket….but I know its in the car, if it gets too bad. This morning I reached into my pocket like 5 times before noon out of habit. I didn’t realized how much psycho it is! GOOD LUCK! You can do it….. the first 24 hrs was the worst!