Blocked Nose Nasal sprays - Be Aware!!

[prettyrainbows]

I used Sudafed Blocked Nose spray over a year ago when I had a bad cold, but I obviously used it longer than I should have and now my nose is addicted to it 😬 and I have Rhinitis Medicamentosa (saw Dr this afternoon)
Basically I have to use it 3/4 times a day else my nasal passages are severely congested.
So, 2 points - has anyone else had this and how did you cure it (Dr said reduce down gradually- feel like a druggie 😳) I just wondered if anyone else had any other tips or had congestion issues from overuse of nasal decongestants.
And point 2 - please be vary wary if using these nose sprays as if used longer than a week your nose can be come dependant- as its cold/flu season I just wanted to warn others as I didn't even know this was a thing until now!!

Just to clarify that steroid sprays are available over the counter too. Beconase hayfever is one of them.

Do you take an antihistamine on a morning? I'm so sorry to hear you aren't sleeping that must be awful 😞 Do you have a vaporiser in your bedroom?

If you have it next to your bed it'll help keep the air moist and (hopefully) stop your airways drying out?

@pixie5121 humidifiers are similar.

My fellow sinusitis sufferers - sympathies! I have horrible sinusitis once or twice a year too. One thing I've found really helps is those sticky nasal strips ("Breathe Right"), really helps at night time with the blockage and pain. I found them when I was pregnant and really limited in what I could use & have never looked back.

I have eustachian tube dysfunction too so have clicking and pressure from that

@pixie5121 I know the feeling. Have you just tried weening off one nostril at a time? I've seen in the thread that some people did this and worked. You should go to your GP

Omg! Thanks for the warning.

You definitely need referring to ENT if you haven't been.

Something to add to this, I'd been using a nasal spray for 2 days with a bad cold, at start of work day then bedtime because I know not to overuse when I was injured and attended a and e. My BP at a and e was 170/109, almost got admitted. Monitored a couple of days and turns out it was the nasal spray. So no yeah, bad idea to use them long term.