This is a story on how I relieved my Afrin 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 through my nose… Afrin 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.
Important Update: Hello everyone. This is Ken Savage the author of this post. I wanted to tell you that I’m building a new community website around Nose Spray and Afrin addiction. I working with an ENT Dr and a retired ENT nurse on common conditions of nasal congestion, ways to relieve the pressure and inflammation and how to get off of the nose sprays.
I’ll also let you know in an email and comment here when the new site is complete. Should only be 2 weeks or so. I have a dozen articles written already and hope to provide you more help and information.
Good luck on your struggles everyone and let’s hope we can all work together to free ourselves from nose spray addiction.
Hey guys, I’ve managed to quit cold turkey for about two weeks! I know it doesn’t sound like a long time but it sure felt like the longest time to me, I do use saline(sea water) all the time but honestly it really doesn’t do anything, I’m back to using my spray since not using it didn’t seem to make things better and I do have to breath… the bad news is that the nose spray isn’t very effective any more and I even feel that sometimes it makes it worse, I went to the doctor and he said the only thing to do is surgery but I’m so afraid… anyone know of a way I can help myself without doing surgery? help PLEASE!
Abby,
It’s absolutely brutal and incredibly difficult to quit. I am now six months into the process. The first three weeks were AWFUL. And then I started doing saline nasal rinsing — with the netti pot or the plastic bottle. And within one week — no kidding — it had improved about 50 percent. Now I’m absolutely fine. And I will NEVER again use nose spray. Go out right now and get the netti pot. It’s safe. You can do 3-4 times a day if you need to. You can do this.
Amy,
how did you get through those three weeks? I can’t sleep, think or do ANYTHING when I’m hardly breathing! I can’t take that for such a long time,I can hardly take it for one hour! I tried the saline water but it couldn’t even get through my nose, because it’s so swollen, it really doesn’t help me.
It was pretty awful, I must admit. I breathed through my mouth. I’m wondering, however, if the doctor says it can only be resolved through surgery then perhaps your case is more severe. I would get a second opinion. And, before you try surgery, definitely give acupuncture a thought. I know someone who got some partial relief through acupuncture and was able to then get the saline water through her nose via nasal rinsing. Good luck, Abby. I feel for you.
It’s been a month tomorrow since I quit. I was going to try the weening process, but the first day was easier than I expected, so I ended up white-knuckling my way through the first few days without using spray at all. Used a lot of psuedephedrine, Nyquil, and lots of pillows to get to sleep, and just plain learning to breathe through my mouth or at best one nostril. I’ve been using NasalCrom twice a day, once at bedtime and once before I leave for work, that’s been helping some. Didn’t work right away, took about a week to be effective, but I’ve actually gotten to where I’m only using it once before bed, now. That first few weeks was hampered by the fact that I had gotten REALLY sick when I decided to quit.
I’ve only relapsed twice late at night when I couldn’t sleep, but only in one nostril, and with heavily diluted spray (like 10 parts saline, 1 part Afrin). It didn’t totally clear me up, but it took enough off to sleep. Other than that I’ve not used the Afrin at all, and never during the day.
I still get stuffed up at bedtime, but during the day I’m actually pretty clear, it’s nice to not have to use that crap to breathe. I’m still going through the process of healing, and it’s still pretty rough at nite, but I can usually breathe well enough through one nostril to breathe.
This can be done, I’ve been using it for years. It’s just not easy. Good luck to you all!!
Oh, and like Abby said, the first three weeks are hell, but I’m actually starting to feel human again.
Abby…why don’t you get a second opinion from another doctor? Your reluctance to want to resort to surgery is quite understandable, but you may be one of those cases that does have a physical obstruction that can be removed surgically.
As mentiond in my inital post ~2 months ago, I have been using a combination of nasal irragation, Breathright strips and gradual Afrin dilution. Here is an update of my present situation:
about a month ago, I was down to using a 1/4 cc of a solution that was only 10% Afrin. I kept records and what was interesting is that I usually did not need it in both nostrils: One nostril was as clear as could be all night. So I decided to do without the drops all together. After two weeks, I was still experienceing stuffiness in one nostril or the other that was making sleep difficult. Also, I stopped using the Breathright strips because my skin was getting a bit irritated. BUT…I have to re-iterate that a month after I started the ‘withdrawal’ program, my nose has stayed absolutely clear all day and into the evening until about an hour after bed time…even without the Breathrights. I still use the Nasaline Irragator twice a day.
So last week, I decided to continue to dilute the Afrin/Saline down to 5%/95%. I use it at night…again I find it is necessary in one nostril only. This allows me to sleep on the side that has been treated. The other side remains clear all night. Even if I have to continue this for a while longer, I’m happy with the vast improvements: no more bloody mucus, no more needing drops during the day, being able to breath perfectly for 18 out of 24 hours in a way that I have not experienced in many years.
Glad I found this blog tonight. Pretty crazy but I didn’t even realize I was addicted. I went to Colorado (from SF Bay Area) over Christmas and was miserable with alergies/congestion. The drug store pharmacist suggested Afrin. I was shocked after several days that I found something that gave almost instant relief!!! Unfortunately 7 months later I was still using Afrin…now several times throughout the day because I can’t stand nose congestion and loved the relief. I finally called a doctor yesterday though because of the frequency of use and he helped me see this wasn’t a good thing.
I stopped using Afrin yesterday…and only slept 3 hours last night with a completely stuffed nose. Today sucked! I’m going to stick this out though and confident I’ll be fine in a few days. I don’t believe addiction to anything is healthy. I’m confident God will be good to get me through this. I encourage everyone in this struggle (and every struggle) to pray to God, our Creator, who hears/sees our struggles and cares!!!
2nd and 3rd night have gone much better that the 1st. I’m using flonase prescribed by my doctor but he said it will probably take up to a week to have effect. I’ve created a ramp of pillows for my upper body while I sleep on my side. If I lay flat then I get instant congestion. Pillows have been my biggest help thus far. I’m actually doing fairly well during the day with 50-75% of my nasal airways seem to be open…
I don’t know if everyone will have the same success that I had, but one week later I’m back to “normal.” That first night was absolutely horrible but the “pillow ramp” I created for the next several nights allowed me to at least breathe through one nostril. I talked to my mom tonight and I guess my dad had the same OTC nasal spray addiction years back…kinda interesting. I just wanted to share my success with others to let you know there is hope with kicking this thing. God bless!
@Jeremy, I hear you I know exactly how you feel. I’m now a month and a half since I have used any spray, I’ll tell you it does get better. I’m pretty sure i have either some heeling left to do, or else I’ve done permanent damage to my sinuses, but I have almost no congestion problems during the day anymore, and altho I stil have some at night it’s MUCH better than it was.
I managed somehow to come down with ANOTHER nasty sinus infection, but I was able to get through it without using any spray whatsoever, and lo and behold I’m getting over it much quicekr than I normally would using the spray.
One thing that helps tremendously during the first few weeks, mix yourself some home made saline solution consisting of 1 cup of distilled water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of baking soda (or boil tap water for 10 minutes and let it cool), and cleanse your sinuses once a day using a netti pot, or else what I did was empty a large store brand Saline solution and replace it with your home brew. DON’T use the store brands, it contains Benzalkonium, which can be part of the reason Afrin causes rebound congestion.
Ok I am so glad I found this blog and can see that I am not the only crazy nose-spray-addicted person out there. I first started using the stuff in 2008 when I went hiking to a remote area, I knew I might have allergy problems so I took a bottle of spray in case it got bad. Well it did and I used it all up in that week and then bought another when I got back to civilization, now 2 years have passed, I’m still hooked and I need to spray about every 2 hours. I am a very active person and have started to dread doing any group activities where I cant sneak away and use my spray every couple of hours. I recently almost said no to a adventure weekend because of the addiction so I have decided enough is enough and I am going cold turkey today! Where I am it is currently 11:30am on Friday morning, I have the day off work and dont have to go anywhere all weekend so I am planning to stay indoors and suffer. I used my spray last at 5.30am this morning just before an early exercise class. Right now my head feel heavy, my nose is completely blocked and it feels like there is pressure buidling up in my head. Can I cope with this for 3 days? I reckon I can…I have pretty good willpower. Will post again soon with an update. Wish me luck……
I am absolutely desperate here.
Please, if anyone can help me, respond.
I am on vacation for over a month in the UK, and I have been using afrin for only about a month, but the majority of the time I used it only at night. I tried to stop using it after the first three or four weeks, and I did. I went cold turkey for a whole week after that, and I felt virtually no congestion during the day with a bit of a stuffy sinus on one side during the night, but I could still easily go to sleep.
However, it was after that week that I came to the UK, and I started to use it for a week just because I didn’t want to be bothered on my holiday(most of this was also done only during the night). I then started to feel quite congested during daytime as well though, so after a few days of this, I had to see a random doctor here and got prescribed a steroid nasal spray.
Here is the part where I really need help. The first couple of days I used it, I noticed quite a large improvement over before, where I would feel like I had a cold. I have used this twice a day for 8 days now, but my condition does not appear to have gotten any better since those first couple of days(this may be because it has just been so gradual, but I really don’t know????). During the day now, it is quite bearable, but it worsens at night.
I am literally going mad. I have not had a good night’s sleep in almost 2 weeks, averaging about 3 hours a night. I truly, truly cannot take this any long. I am honestly losing my mind, and I have never felt this miserable before. I know I am not using afrin again, that is not the issue.
The issue is PLEASE, HOW CAN I MAKE THIS CONGESTION STOP?!
Please, I need help, it is difficult for us to find doctors in a country we don’t live in, so I really, really, need to know what to do or what to expect.
Thank you and much appreciated.
I can NOT take this for more than another week. I CAN’T do that(again, it’s not because I am thinking of using afrin, I AM JUST GOING ABSOLUTELY CRAZY).
I need to be happy again.
Wow..it’s been a loooong time since I posted here…but..I have since found something that helped me.So I will share.
*disclaimer*
Good luck getting your doctor to prescribe this..but it’s worth a shot.
It’s unorthodox but it works.
1.Hycodan cough syrup (Hydrocodone/Homatropine)…it’s a narcotic cough syrup.It has Hydrocodone in it(reason..it may be hard to get prescribed for nasal reasons..my doc took my word for it).
THE HYDROCODONE(ie,vicoden,lortab,norco,etc) is NOT what is going to help the congestion and it is VERY addictive so watch your usage.
Anyway..the IMPORTANT ingredient in the cough syrup is the HOMATROPINE…it IS NOT available via any other route than this cough syrup..I have asked 1000(in jest) pharmacist & every doctor I know.
Homatropine…is an antihistamine that will clear up your nose like nobodies business.(I discovered this when i had bronchitis back in January and was prescribed it for the coughing).
*another DISCLAIMER* Narcotics are NOT safe for pregnant or breastfeeding mommys.(hence this will not work for you guys) There.
2. it’s still going to require a little effort…if you are using Afrin say once an hour..this stuff will knock it down to about two or three times a day..and maybe even once.
3.If you are able to take an oral steroid during this time..you will probably be free of this very soon. I HATE oral steroids..but they don’t seem to bother some people.
4.You DEFINITELY need to be on nasal steroid at start of course..keep using even if you think it’s doing nothing…AND..something like Zyrtec.(I am on zyrtec and flonase). You most likely have allergies and if you start getting these two things in your system at the start …hopefully..you will not return to the afrin after the hycodan and oral steroids(if taking) end.
oh..also..for whatever reason..an antibiotic WILL help too..
Good luck.
here’s the list to ask your doc for:
1.Hycodan cough syrup
2. Antibiotic(I took z-pack)
3.Medrol dose pack(oral streiod pack ..about 7 days worth)If you are able to take it.
4.Flonase (nasal steriod..tell them u want to use two spray in each nostril daily)
5.over the counter zyrtec
Like I said it’s unorthodox..I I noticed in Jan when I had the bronchitis that when one the cough syrup my nose cleared up,so I mentioned it to my pharmacist..and he is the one that told me about the Homatropine in there.
Maybe you could print these pages and show your doctor.
again..good luck everyone.
if you can handle the oral steroids..of course those will help..but they are hard on a lot of people.
excuse the last sentence..it was supposed to be deleted before posting.
ALSO:
“Like I said it’s unorthodox..I I noticed in Jan when I had the bronchitis that when one the cough syrup my nose cleared up,so I mentioned it to my pharmacist..and he is the one that told me about the Homatropine in there”
Should have looked more like this:
Like I said it’s unorthodox..I noticed in Jan when I had the bronchitis that while taking the cough syrup my nose cleared up,so I mentioned it to my pharmacist..and he is the one that told me about the Homatropine in there.
lol..sorry..not sure what happened.
Can someoneone help pleeeeassssseeee?????!!!!!! please, you have no idea how *(**** crazy im going here i need HEEEEELP!
Ive been to 4 bloody doctors in my past 2 weeks of vacation AND I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE. I use the stupid Sinus Rinse that an ENT guaranteed would work, and it has just made it WORSE. All that water is stuck in my nose nowwww!!! why the **** is it getting worse!!!@!, i cant d0n this anymoer somepone heeeeleemkok3wekleleleopop
(I posted this last May but I think it’s worth repeating because I see people struggling with different “cure” products and not getting relief. I had success using no other products and have been clear since May 1st 2009.)
Hi Folks,
I am living proof that you CAN get off Afrin. I was on for about 10 years but have been Afrin free for a year now with absolutely no desire to get back on.
Here’s how I kicked it in one week with no other medication:
Spray both nostrils at night as you usually do because night time is the most difficult.
When you wake up the next morning spray only one nostril only one time and make an effort to go as long as you can without spraying. What ever time you make it to, write it down but only spray that same one nostril one time. What you’re doing is taking the “deprived” nostril OFF the spray so it can heal.
The next day, see if you can beat the times you recorded on the previous day.
You should be able to go longer and longer because one nostril is also healing. Soon you may be able to make it all day with no spray except one nostril one time at night. Two or three days like that and you’ll be able to go without. The “deprived” but now healed and clear nostril will get you through the withdraw of the other one.
The whole process start to finish took me exactly a week. I’m not gonna sugar coat it. I had a few really bad days where I was walking around with what felt like a full pumpkin on my head but you WILL get relief.
It is wonderful to be clear now after 10 years of addiction. Do I sometimes still get stuffed? Sure, but here’s the great part: I can now easily clear myself by simply rolling over in bed or, for a really bad stuff I walk up and down the stairs once and that change – yup, that’s it – clears me right up.
Summon up a little courage and go for it. You can do it. A year ago I was right where you are now.
Hi all its me again – i posted back on 16th July and wanted to give an update. I am now officially off the spray! Ok the first two days were pure hell but i am glad suffered through. I don’t know if going cold turkey would work for everyone but for me it has. I have been using the stuff for many years and for at least two years I have used it around 10 times per day.
I put aside 3 days (Fri-Sun) took Friday off work and last used my spray on the Friday morning around 6am. By around 9am my head was aching and it felt like I had concrete in my nasal passages. This pretty much continued all day and Fri night. I got no sleep at all Fri night but managed to doze off for an hour on sat afternoon (breathing through my mouth because my nose was still completely blocked). Late Sat evening things started to clear up a bit. One nostril would clear for a while, then block again and the other one woudl clear than block. This continued all night and I got around four hours sleep that night. It gradually got better during the day on Sun and by Sun night I went to bed with both nostrils around 70% clear which allowed me to get a full nights sleep.
The last week has been pretty good, I can feel sinuses clearing, although it is still going through the one blocking, one clearing process a bit but every day seems to be a bit better. This week has been amazing for me, just leaving the house without my spray on me was a huge step and not having to sneak into the bathroom at work every 2 hours to spray has been wonderful.
Hope this helps anyone considering giving up this way. It is definately worth the try but you do need to be pretty strong willed those first few days.
Also I forgot to add that I took an over the counter antihistamine tablet on Fri, Sat & Sun night. I normally would not take antihistamine because it has the opposite effect on me and keeps me awake (I suffer from chronic insomnia). It seemed to help with the headaches and conjestion particularly on the Sat and Sun nights. That is the only thing I took.
I have a question for Ken (sorry if you have already answered it somewhere on your blog or in your vast list of replies). Did the “one nostril at a time” technique work for you? I’m considering trying it tonight. I have only used the Afrin for 3 nights in a row, but I officially can’t sleep without it and I don’t want this to get any worse.
Yes Kristin it did work for me. You nose gets used to the amount of Afrin you give it and wont adapt or work toward clearing itself up. Without it it will remain inflamed and runny. With it it will artificially clear it self up until the medicine wears off. I’m not Doctor of course but its what I lived with for a long time. Have you tried saline rinses as well? The “one nostril at a time” did it work me but it took a few days for each side.
Im a 33 year old woman who got hooked on noise drops! Started wu=itg a sinus infectin back in January. I answerd nphone and sounded sqeeqy.
So nose drops helpef wondersw@!But I stb, jlla
A major cable network is looking to profile people with nasal spray addictions. If you’re interested in sharing your story, please e-mail us at casting@20west.tv. Thanks!
I posted last year, and with Aprils help I got off this nasty stuff…but then I regressed, and started up again after I had a really nasty cold. I went to my doctor and mentioned it to him, he gave me a prescription for Nasonex, he said use it three times a day (normally its one) two sprays in each nostril. IT WORKED!! The first night I only had to use Afrin once, and I only did one nostril. That was the only time I needed it. It literally took ONE DAY. I am thrilled. Aprils system DID work for me, but this was definitely faster.
Thanks, Jennifer for saying something positive about me. I am glad you got off again with your Dr. help. Regression is common. I think that no matter what method you use to get off the spray, it is so easy to get hooked again and it always will be. I do think that once you get off it the first time, it is easier to get off it again. I’m glad you are doing okay.
the half and half method works great for me. i started on thursday morning, only using it in my right nostril, and half way through the day, my left nostril was already starting to clear just a bit. friday i was able to breathe completely through it. it was still plugging now and then, but enough to at least get a pinch of air through. today, saturday, i’m completely clear, and i could breathe through the left last night better than my right. i even threw the nasal spray i keep in my purse away yesterday.
i recommend at least trying the half and half method.
unfortunately the only real working method is cold turkey and a cortisone shot. go to your doctor and tell them that you are addicted and all your symptoms he will diagnose you with rebound congestion prescribe you a bottle of decongestant that isnt addictive but it really doesnt work so tell them rather then that can you have the cortisone treatment they will give you a shot usually in the nose it is a steroid that will help you breath and they will tell you throw your spray away and not use it for 2 weeks and by then the cortisone will be wearing off (usually last one month but not in the dosage they will give you) but it should be long enough to get over the congestion
I’ve been addicted for 4 months now. My nose has started to bleed when I blow it. Right now I’m stuffed up and thinking about my bottle of affrin that’s in the bathroom with only a few squirts left in it. I really want to use it and go to bed, but reading how some of you all have been addicted for years has scared me into getting off it. I’ll try the one nostril at a time method. I’ll post again in a few days to tell you all how it went. Thanks for all your advice, by the way!
Have you guys tried the dilution method? I’ve been addicted on and off again for 8 years (I say that, because I can dilute myself off and not use it for months… until I get a cold again, then I have to start all over). What you do is purchase a full bottle of Afrin, 4-Way, Equate (or whatever you use) and use it until half full. Then, using distilled water poored into a cup, suck some of the water into the nasal spray container… filling it back up. Use it down to half again, and repeat. Each time you do this, you’re slowly diluting the phenylephrine in the original spray to nothingness… and you’ll be breathing normally within a couple of weeks.
Hello all,
I woke up today in the middle of the night a few times unable to breathe and gasping for air. I didn’t really know what was going on, but looking at google, I see that I have addiction problem.
I started using Afrin 4 weeks ago due to a terrible cold that was growing into otitis for my ears. When I bought Afrin, it worked like an angel and my ears started to hurt less and less. After 2 weeks I noticed that when the spray effect wore off, I couldn’t breathe at all – I felt like I was going to faint if I didn’t get more Afrin. I had a lot of trouble breathing through my mouth even. Last Sunday I decided to go off Afrin and bought Sudafed, but it doesn’t seem to work. I also took a claritin tablet once. My nose started to clear up little by little.
Yesterday I had 4 wisdom teeth removed under local anesthesia, so I needed my nose to breathe 100%. It was going fine until about 18 hours later from nightmares and gasping for air again. I realized that Afrin was definitely responsible for this, so I researched it.
I’m afraid to use the 1 side method, because I feel like it’ll still affect my lungs and not let me breathe even through my mouth. Does anyone know if Sudafed and Claritin work together to alleviate these symptoms?
Thanks,
Sky
Hi Sky I have felt that gasping for breath during the night myself. Just as you start to fall asleep you GASP for a breath like someone is sitting on your chest! I was telling an older lady about this, she had the same thing and her Dr. told her to take vitamin D3 in a dose of 5000 IU’s. I don’t know why but it really really works! After a few days of taking this the gasping for air is a thing of the past! I once ran out of the D3 and the gasping came back right away. Please try it and let me know if it works for you!?
Hope it does.
James D
I have been off Afrin for a bi over a month now and I just used the cold turkey method. My doctor gave me some steroids spray, I used it 3 times and stopped. My nose is pretty decent now.
Sky
WAS hooked on Walgreens brand nosespray for several month, had to use it several times a day of my nose would just slam shut. RHINOCORT AQUA is amazing! After only a couple of uses honestly after the first nights use I never needed Afrin or the like again! RHINOCORT is $$$ but is a life saver! Found it online from a Canadian mail order store.
magicpharma is where I got the Rhinocort Aqua and at a fraction of the Dr’s perscription… my out of pocket cost via local pharm. was OMD $120 for 100 dose spray!, through magicpharma. c o m it was something like $38 shipped and a 200 dose bottle. Honestly great stuff, would love to hear from others using Rhinocort.
I was addicted to nostrilla and had to quit cold turkey because the spray had taken away the lining in my nose and I was bleeding nonstop. I could not stop the bleeding and they could do nothing at the hospital because there was no lining. The bleeding stopped after 3 hours. I had a sinus infection right after that and did not use anything other than nasal wash with saline solution. Now I use a nasal wash every night before bed. Please Stop using nasal spray it is not good and it’s expensive.
ive only been using afrin for 2 weeks but i cant stop using it, i cant go through 1 day of school without using it. if i didnt use it i would not be able to breathe out of either nostril and it didnt help that it ran so i had this snot that could only be blown ever 10 to 20 seconds. afrins been my only resort . trying to stop, got nasonex and some other allergie medicine
Tyler I have 2 words that honestly work “Rhinocort Aqua” you might ask your Dr. if he/she has samples? All I know is it worked like magic for me!
James
I have been addicted to Afrin nose spray for about 20 years. Mostly I couldn’t sleep without out it, and my snoring is worse when I can’t breath. For a few months now I have been using the Neti pot, which helped a little. But, I still couldn’t use the Neti pot if my nose was blocked and find that I have to use Afrin to open the airways. This left me frustrated. Since I am so out of shape and have not done any jogging for many years, I started the “Couch to 5K” program, which slowly gets you back into jogging with alternating walking and jogging. I noticed that each time I did this (every 2nd day), my sinuses would be clear when I got back home. I took advantage of this time to use the Neti Pot. Someone from work told me that taking hot showers and breathing in the steam will open up the sinuses. I have been doing this and have gone for 5 days now without having to use nasal spray. I am feeling good about this!
Hi, everyone. I haven’t posted here in quite some time, and this is going to be my last post. Keep reading to find out why.
When I last posted back in February of this year (also see 1/9, 1/19, 1/21, 2/6, and 2/7), I had just started allergy shot treatments. In addition, the doctor put me on a prescription antihistamine. I must have tried a dozen different sprays and pills before we settled on Allegra-D, which seemed to work the best for me. This is a relative statement, however, because I really didn’t get much relief from any of the medications. I supplemented the allergy shots (i.e. two full needles of serum in each arm at each sitting) and the prescription meds with over-the-counter allergy pills and decongestants. I was able to get to the point where I could at least function during the day, but my symptoms never completely subsided. And all the while, I continued to use the dreaded nasal spray.
Anyway, I completed the allergy shot regimen in early June. At that point, you’re supposed to go on a monthly maintenance schedule, but I couldn’t even make it a week before the allergy symptoms would overcome me, whereby I would need another shot. So the doctor put me on a weekly (instead of monthly) maintenance shot schedule, in addition to taking a cocktail of about ten pills a day, which includes Allegra in the morning and at bedtime, a Zyrtec in the morning, a Benadryl at bedtime, and about a half-dozen decongestant tablets throughout the day. I had to start this treatment of pills the minute I woke up or else the allergy symptoms would kick-in almost immediately and it would take hours before the medicine would suppress them.
Despite eight months of intensive treatment, the net improvement in my condition would best be described as slight. I saw the allergy doctor a few weeks ago and he told me that he hasn’t ever seen a case as bad as mine. He didn’t know what else to do for me, so he suggested I go see an ENT to talk about surgically correcting my deviated septum. He said this sometimes helps the allergy symptoms.
I made the appointment, which was this past Thursday. In the interim, I decided to try something else. There is a church near my home that has a weekly healing service. I went there on 9/22/10 and met a prayer counselor named Moses (that really is his name!). Together, we prayed that Jesus would heal me of my three sinus-related maladies, including my allergies, my sinus problems – including my 20+ year addiction to nose spray – and my deviated septum. To make a long story slightly less long, Moses said I was healed of my allergies, but the sinus healing wouldn’t be immediate. First, I had to beat the addiction. He told me I needed to “resist the temptation” to use the spray and in time, I would receive the rest of the healing.
Here’s the crescendo: I haven’t taken an allergy pill since 9/22 (i.e. in almost two weeks) and I haven’t experienced a single allergy symptom during that time. I think I sneezed maybe twice during this period, which is probably normal (how many times a week does the average person sneeze?). My allergies were, indeed, healed. Halleluiah! Not having allergies anymore, I was able to wean myself completely off the nose spray in only four days. I haven’t touched the stuff in over a week. And I’m not going to, ever again.
So folks, the moral of the story is that when you have nowhere else to turn, go to Jesus. Or better yet; go to Him first. I would have saved myself a week of time (if you added it all up) and about $1,000 in insurance co-pays if I took my own advice and went to Jesus sooner than I did. Lesson learned.
I wish everyone who still suffers from this awful addiction the very best. I’m done with it!
Joe
Sometimes we are obsessed with trying to find our own solutions, that we forget to take things to the Lord in prayer. Your message has been a good reminder. I hope that things work out for you long term.
Thanks, Sherry. I still have some challenges ahead of me. I mentioned in my last post that I went to the ENT last week. What he told me is that my septum is about 95% obstructed on the right side. Like the allergist, he said he hasn’t seen a condition quite this bad before. I have to admit; there’s a sense of pride knowing I’m an extreme medical case! Anyway, the ENT said the surgery is oftentimes a judgment calls for most people, but in my case, he said it’s a “no-brainer”. I’m going for a CT scan today so the doctor can get a better look at what exactly is going on in there. He suspects I have more obstructions than just the septum, which the scan will be able to identify.
The problem I have is that if the septum isn’t repaired, the risk of falling back into nose spray addiction increases because the air flow will remain substantially reduced. I tried to explain this condition recently to a non-addict and I used Ken’s picture at the top of this page as an example. I told the person to stick a clothespin on their nose and see how long they can leave it there without it driving them crazy. That’s how people who suffer from this addiction feel like. And the solution is so simple – just spray that magic elixir up there and within seconds, you’ll be breathing freely again.
Contrary to what the doctor said, the surgery decision isn’t a no-brainer. My friend Moses told me I would be healed of my ailments, but part of the healing wouldn’t come immediately. Part of it did (i.e. the allergies, which helped me beat the nose spray addiction), but the rest of it hasn’t happened yet (i.e. I still have some lingering sinus congestion and the deviated septum). I talked with some other people about this and their conclusion is that the chain of events is a test of faith. They suggested I view it in the context of an unfulfilled prophesy, where I have to “wait on the Lord”. Normally, this would be very difficult to rationalize. But having just experienced the healing of my allergies, it’s a lot easier to trust the Lord.
As of right now, I have decided to waive-off the surgery. The way I see it, an IOU from the Lord is like money in the bank (a financially solvent one, that is)! I can wait. Will it be easy to continue to “resist the temptation” to use the nose spray? No. But I’m confident I can do it (“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength” – Philippians 4:13). In my opinion, the most significant healings are those where there is irrefutable proof, such as a before and after CT scan. That’s what I’m expecting. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
It is easy to get addicted to nose spray. For me, it was always the left side of my sinuses that were blocked. I would always get earaches on that side. The ENT specialist told me that this was not an ear infection, but a blocked eustachian tube from always being stuffed up. Having an earache all the time made me feel like climbing into bed and sleeping it off, after taking decongestants. Using nose spray seemed like a preventative measure, to ward off earaches. I have now gone 11 days without nose spray. Taking hot showers daily, using my Neti pot once a day plus a little exercise is doing the trick. I am also making myself drink more water throughout the day, which I am told can make a difference.
Guys, I am another victim to this Afrin. I have been using this stuff for about 18 months and now its to the point where it does nothing. I know I have a very severe case, using about 1 ounce a week. And thats not spraying it in. I actually have to turn the bottle up and pour into my nose. I rarely have to use it in my right nostril. I cannot get off of this. Its bad when you get up in the middle of the night and go to Walmart, cause thats the only place open, and buy another bottle. I NEED HELP!!!
Michael, your situation is nearly identical to mine. I was a quirter, as opposed to a sprayer, using about a bottle a week. And Afrin wasn’t working any longer. I asked several doctors about this, but none of them could tell me why.
You can read my posts above for more background, but what I did was switch to the phenylephrine hydrochloride variety of the spray, which you can find at Wal-Mart. It’s in the exact same package as the oxymetazoline variety, so it’s easy to mistake the two (read the labels carefully). I don’t know why, but the phenylephrine worked for me, while the oxy did not. I think it’s because the active ingredient is twice as concentrated (i.e. 1% vs. a half).
This will get you over the hump, but you still have to beat the addiction. There are many different methods mentioned on this site and they all have proven track records. It’s just a matter of finding which one will suit your needs best. You’re not alone, and it can be done. Good luck.
michael: i’ve been on the crap for about 4 years! it’s ridiculous. i started ‘using’ when my husband had a cold. he used it for a day and hated the stuff bc he said it didn’t work for him. i was alittle stuffy, and have always been a ‘nose breather’ i almost have panic attacks when i can’t breath through my nose. so i started using it and after a month, just figured i must still have a cold bc when i wasn’t using it, my nose would get plugged completely, where i couldn’t even ‘whistle breath’ through it. i found this site and read someone’s post about the half and half method. i tried it, only spraying in my right nostril to heal the left, and it worked! after a day, my left would clear completely up, and then plug up again, on an on for a few days, and it cleared completely up after about 2 weeks, with only plugging up just a tiny bit every once in a great while, but still enough to breathe comfortably through. i’m still using it for my right nostril, bc cold season’s coming, and i’m alittle scared that i’ll be miserable in both nostril’s once i get a cold. but the half and half method is amazing, and it will give you the confidence to quit completely once you feel good about it. i hope this helps.
i was just as desperate as you are, and i hated having nose spray bottles on my nightstand, in my purse and car, and one in the living room, lol. good luck. it’ll work for ya. 
Hi, Michael, Please click on my name. I have a proven method and I want to share it with you for free. You just have to email me and then we will talk and I will send you my method.
Everyone I’ve posted this before but worth a re-read…
I WAS hooked on Walgreens brand nosespray for several month, had to use it several times a day of my nose would just slam shut. RHINOCORT AQUA is amazing! After only a couple of uses honestly after the first nights use I never needed Afrin or the like again! RHINOCORT AQUA is $$$ but is a life saver! Found it online from a Canadian mail order store.
I’ve been addicted to Sinex nasal spray (Oxymetazoline) for the last 8 years. And this is a regression from an earlier addiction. I’ll start at the beginning. Back in 1998 I developed a serious head cold and my nose stopped up on me. Like most people I just can’t be bothered with a stuffy nose, so like a lot of people I turned to nose spray for relief. I was addicted to it for about a year and developed a serious sinus infection in my left sinus. I set an appoinment for the doctor, told her what was going on, she gave me a prescription for the infection and something in a pill form for the addiction (wish I could remember the names). I didn’t use any spray before visiting the doctor, anyway after I got my scripts filled I took my 1st dose of each and it worked, I was off the spray and I was happy. Oh, and incidently, when I went to the doctor that morning I never used nose spray until I developed another head cold in 2002. I thought about my previous addiction but thought that I would use it in moderation and for less than the recommended time. Was I wrong!! I have been on it since and am in pure agony now. I have to use it at least 8 times a day just to function. I’ve been to my doctor (which is a new doctor) with my predicament, but everything he prescribes is useless, and I for the life of me can’t remember what my previous doctor prescribed me, sad as it is I’m now stuck with an addiction I don’t want. I’m glad I found this blog because I thought I was the only one with this addiction, but I see I’m not alone and many have faced their demons and beat it. So too will I face mine. I am going to try the one side at a time method as it seems to have worked for so many. I will post back and let everyone know how I am doing. Thanks everyone for your input, and letting a soul like me know that I’m not alone in this. Good luck all
I’m miserable and need help
I’m 37 and started using nose spray when I was about 10 years old off and on when I had a cold and couldn’t sleep. I began regular use when I was 17. I’ve tried countless times over the years to stop and just can’t do it. Doctors look at me like I have three heads when I tell them I use it and say “just stop” “don’t you know it’s addicting”. WOW doc it IS??? I had NO idea!!! I hate doctors…
Can someone help me?
I used Afrin for about 5 years. At first I only used it at night, then I started using it once and a while during the day… it only got worse from there. The past 2 years or so I’ve been using it every 3-4 hours. I was really ashamed of it, I had to hide it from my parents, my friends and my boyfriend (who lives with me, so that was really tough). Everyone didn’t understand why I just couldn’t stop. Everytime that I tried it was terrible and I gave up after a few hours just like everyone else here. Finally last week things hit the boiling point. One night my Afrin just stopped working, no matter how much I used. I ran out to the drug store in the middle of the night, desperate to find something that would work. I was panicked because I just couldn’t breathe. I bought 4-way and it cleared me up instantly…. for about 20 minutes. So I just kept using it over and over again. It made me so sick, my heart was pounding, I was shaking and I was really dizzy. Finally at 2am, I was disgusted with myself so I quit cold turkey. Right then I dumped out all of my Afrin and other sprays. That night was pretty miserable, I didn’t sleep at all but I was still pretty fired up about my decision so I made it through. However, by noon the next day I was in full withdrawl mode. I was having panic attacks, I couldn’t use my nose at all, my hands were shaking, my head was so congested and my face was red and raw from constantly blowing my nose. I called my doctor at noon and begged for relief. I was hysterical, I felt so terrible. She prescribed me a steriod pack to open my nose and xanax for the panicky withdrawl symptoms. This combination worked really well. The steriod pack started to work that evening. It didn’t open things up completely but it opened my nose enough to take away that awful nose filled with concrete feeling. The Xanax allowed me to calm down and took away the shakiness and craving for Afrin. The Xanax also allowed me to sleep that night which instantly made me feel better. I had about 50% usage of my nose the next day and it is only getting better. I am now almost 4 days off of Afrin and my nose is functioning at about 90%. It really only gets stuffy and congested when I need to blow it. It also just feels healthier. I am finishing up the steriod pack and using the xanax if I need it to sleep but I’m really not that congested even at night. Anyways I just wanted to post here because I think I read every post on this site and it really gave me the strength I needed to get through the withdrawl phase. Good luck to everyone that tries to get off of nasal spray. You really can do it, just remember that you won’t feel this way forever.
I’ve been addicted for many years. I working on quitting and am in the process. I would only use spray at night before bed because that’s when my nose would be stopped up, 3 sprays in each nose. However I have gone a week without nasal spray so far by doing this:
-instead of harmful nasal spray, I use saline spray
-i also use claritain or sudafed as well
-then I would use vicks vapor rub
-finally I would wear a breathe right strip (took me awhilw to get use to it.
For the first week, I would wake up in the middle of the night and have to use the bad spray, but would only allow myself one spray in each side
Finally I started sleeping through the night with my alternate products. I plan on stopping using the sudafed and just using saline, breathe right strips and vicks vapor rub. Its been tough but I hope I can continue to kick the addiction
Yes, I am an Afrin addict too… On and off for at least 20 years. Used only at night until my last cold when I would only get about an hour of clarity per use so I knew the end had come. Tried cold turkey, but got was so completely stopped up that I thought I would have a panic attack as well. I felt like I would sufficate. Never felt stuffed up like this in my life!! I went to the doctor and admitted my addiction. Got oral steroids, flonase, astepro and told to take Zyrtec D every 12 hours. Within 24 hours, I felt 50% better. Slept through the night with a small bit of air coming through the nose, propped up on pillows. By the end of 5 days, I stopped the Zyrtec D (with the oral decongestant)& ended the steroids — I was breathing! I continued with the astepro and flonase for my chronic nasal inflamation. Been good ever since. Once, I felt a little clogged and took the Zyrtec D and it cleared it right up. I swear this will work for you. Please try it and stop suffering!!
I was hooked on Afrin for over a year and near the end of the cycle, my nose was bleeding and the Afrin wasn’t working hardly at all. I went to the doctor finally (kinda’ hate doctors) and he referred me to an ENT. The ENT of course, scolded me but prescribed me a Medrol pack and Flonase. He said I would feel better by the time I was ready for bed that very night. And he was right. It was the most phenomenal thing ever. A couple months passed and I caught a bad cold. I thought I could sparingly use the Afrin at night to help me sleep. Day two…hooked. After a week, I didn’t hesitate to contact the ENT. Yes he scolded me again, and prescribed another Medrol pack. That night slept like a babe. I would swear to the Medrol pack and I am swearing off Afrin forever. Good luck everyone. This is a horrible addiction and so easily remedied – had I only known.
Hi Carol I looked up the “Medrol Pack” and it’s a type of steroid, I swear by “Rhinocort Aqua” also a steroid. The day after using the Rhinocort I was back to normal, and haven’t used over the counter nasal spray again! Bottom line seems a steroid dose might be the answer to kicking the nasal spray habbit!
I have been addicted also, had sprays hidden everywhere, panicked if I thought of a situation that would arise and I did not have my spray handy.
Well, I beat the monster, the following way. First, cut it in half, with 50% saline, use this as required, get a second bottle and cut it 80% or 90%. try to use the 80% or 90% bottle as much as possible, weaning yourself off the first bottle, if the 80% 90% does not work go back to the 50% to get relief,but don’t punish yourself, make a sincere effort to use the 80% or 90% as much as possible to stay away from the 50% version. Get a neti pot and use it once a day to clear pollutents from you nose.(make the neti pot solution as salty as you can tolerate this will help to dry it out, if it stings dilute it ) now, here is the trick get some pseudophedrine hydrochoride hci 30mg.(basically sudafed) take 2 pills every 4 to 6 hrs.when you get into 8 to 12 pills stop taking the afrin if you can.,once you hit the 16 or so amount of pills (about 3 days)the nose will start to stay clear, stop everything at that point, but continue the neti pot occasionally.
I have been doing this over the last 2 weeks, my nose is and has been clear for a week with NO medication at all, I CAN FINALLY SLEEP!
I have read and tried everything , and this worked. Believe me these sprays are ADDICTIVE and CAUSTIC I’ve read horror stories about nasal lining damage etc. I also found that menthol cough drops help a lot during this process ( when your nose fells slightly stuffed) I am by no means a Doctor, just want to help and share. Good Luck, and stick with it
I have been using Afrin for about 6 month now. I also have used others. Finding that it isn’t working all that great anymore. finally last night I said forget it, I need to get off of this. Talk about feeling like my head is going to explode. Going to leave a message with my dr and see if he will call me in a perscription for the steroid pak. Also heading for the pharmacy now to pick up zyrtec to use. I did have to break down and use the afrin this morning but just put it in one side.. I thought I could do this but I don’t know. When I gt off of it, I will never ever us it again I will let you know how it works for me.
Hi, Ive been addicted to nasal spray for almost 17 years/ Its started when I was preganant, I had a terrible cold, and the doctor recommended I try afrin, apparently thinking it was OK for a pregnant person to take. My daughter turned 16 on October, and Im still using it. I sleep with the bottle in my hand, under my pillow, and I panic if I cant find it. I cannot even begin to describe the swelling, and pressure I get, especially at night. During the day I typically use it 4-8 times, two sprays per side. Night is a different story..I wake up swollen shut, gasping for air, and it takes anywhere from about 15 min to three hours of spraying, sneezing, blowing my nose ,repeat, before I can attempt to sleep again. As a result I am often tired, and cranky because I havent slept through an entire night without my spray in almost 17 years. Ive used saline, allegra d, clairtin d, etc..It scares me to think of the damage this horrible sh*t has caused in my nose and throat, and I just want to be free of it. Ive read alot of these posts and Im going to try diluting the spray with saline, and try that Vitamin D3 suggestion. This is a terrible addiction, and I want off this stuff!
Wow Bill, Stephanie, just think of how much money Rachel has spent on nasil spray over 17 years! (I think with me it was about $12-$15 a week.) The Vitamin D-3 at 5000 IU’s totally stopped my gasping for breath through out the night, BUT the Rhinocort Aqua really changed my life for the good. The Rhinocort really is a miracle I’m not exaggerating when I say it, I totally kicked my nose spray addiction in the first couple uses! Sounds to good to be true, sounds like B.S. I know I know it does, but the way it stopped the insanity of using the nose spray a dozen times a day it makes me want to shout RHINOCORT from the rooftops! I hope if anyone else has used it please report how it worked for them. I remember the nights of using the nasal sprays RIGHT before I hit the bed, waking up at 3am to spray again, then right as my feet hit the floor spray again…. not to mention the way it dried out your nose…. damn that’s awful! Sigh…. best of luck please report back if you try the Rhinocort. Again you might be able to get a sample of the Rhinocort Aqua from your Dr.
has anyone here tried a neti pot? I tried it today for the first time and it didn’t help at all! any ideas?
help
hopefully the link to “website” will dicrect people to my last comment but if not.. here it is http://www.kensavage.com/archives/affrin-nose-spray-addiction/comment-page-3/#comment-73610
It will take you directly to my last comment on this site..seriously..this will work.If u read under my comment..I corrected some things in case it looks funny.
direct*