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!!

I'm sure the Box warns you not to use for more than 7 days. Cant remember if there's a leaflet too

I didn't know about this...
I was on a business trip (lots of speaking involved) back in November and had a blocked nose. Basically blasted my way through two spray bottles in 5 days. On the plane home suddenly there was a flip, my nose wouldn't stop running and the spray did nothing.

My DP informed me it was a thing and gave me their steroid spray. I think it got better after a week or so.

Never again!

Thank you for posting this. I have blocked tubes causing "gurgly" ears, the Dr just told me to keep using nasal sprays like Sudafed. I'm so glad I didn't listen! Not sure how to sort the ears though 🙄

@spuddel
So sorry you’ve been through this too. Did you use steroid and sterimar together? I think the infection has finally gone, but I have intense pressure across my nose, and feel so dizzy all the time. It’s horrible.

I was actually aware of this and no longer use them

This always happens to me. I always cave in when I get poorly with cold as I can’t stand the stuffy nose feeling but then end up ‘addicted’ and have a horrible time weaning off.

You just have to suffer it out for a few days, then your nose will be normally.

or alternatively wean off gradually, start by just using it at night, then just one nostril.

I had a colleague that this happened to. He had to use it multiple times a day to be able to breathe properly so I have never used the nasal spray since. I wasn't aware of the risk before he warned me off them.

Definately glad to have read the warning for future reference (if ever needed).

Yes. Overuse causes Rhinitis Medicamentosa (Rebound congestion) which develops when you use nasal oxymetazoline for too long. You’re supposed to use for 3-5day maximum . Rhinitis Medicamentosa is tricky to treat and can take up to 1 year to resolve . Treatment is usually steroid spray to reduce inflammation and oral decongestant decrease swelling

Had this too and now only use for 3 days and no more and only when really suffereing. Someone gave me a handy tip though to get you through the rebound hell. Take the Sudafed and everytime you use it 'top up' the bottle with saline drops (kids glass bottle ones with the dropper). My the end of the week you will have weaned yourself off and be using basically 100% saline and the withdrawal symptoms are less than going cold turkey. Highlt recommend a neti pot with saline for future congestion too.

My daughter nearly got addicted but now uses a neilmed sinus rinse and that works better

I was recommended nasal douching by a doctor to help rhinitis. It was amazing. I didn’t realise how blocked my airways were until I could breathe clearly.

You might want to try giving up dairy for a while to clear the phlegm. I always suffered with phlegm and a sore throat, until I stopped dairy.

For the fans of this the saline sprays, can I ask whether it’s uncomfortable? When swimming if I get water up my nose I find it quite painful. Is this likely to be the same?

I'm on the waiting list for nasal surgery because of this!

Had no idea it was an issue - I had a few bouts of sinusitis close together, ended up needing the spray just to be able to sleep at night otherwise I was constantly in pain with how congested I was. Went to see my GP, got a referral to ENT and they said I've damaged my nose using the spray 🙃

Quit using it thanks to the Neilmed rinse - a lifesaver! It was horrible for a couple of weeks while my sinuses readjusted and cleared but it's a lot better now and once I've had the surgery I'm hoping I'll be able to breathe even more easily.

Another one here holding my hand up, this was me after several months! Just slipped into a routine of a spray before bed because then I knew I wouldn’t be woken with a blocked nose, didn’t think anything of it.

To come off it, i went cold turkey with the spray and it took 3-4 nights, I did it over a long weekend so I wasn’t stressed about needing to be rested for work. I would use a dollop of Vicks vapour rub in near-boiling water and breathe that in a couple of times on the first two nights, and then after that completely stopped. That was enough to ‘cure’ me thankfully.

Good luck OP!

Posted too soon and omitted saline sprays or saline irrigation

Saline is a natural solution and can be used as much as you like.
I wouldn't recommend using table salt mixed with water though. Table salt has other additives, and sachets like the NeilMed ones are measured exactly to the required concentration and are sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate, both purified to avoid introducing nasty germs into your nasal passages.

To wean yourself off the decongestants you can try

1. Steroid nasal sprays. These will take some time to work, you need to be patient while you wait for the steroid to bring down some of the inflammation.
2. Using an empty spray bottle, decant some of the decongestant into the empty bottle and mix with saline. Use this weakened solution for a week, then add more saline, until you are basically using saline only. This may take several week.
3. Use saline nasal washes as often as you like. Neti pots are good.
4. Use a systemic rather than topical decongestant. The Pseudoephedrine HCL is MUCH more effective than the Phenylephrine ones. You need to ask for the Pseudoephedrine ones from the pharmacist as they are kept behind the counter due to potential for abuse. Read the label though, not everyone should take these, they can have side effects.
5. Topical creams like Vicks Vapour Rub and the menthol "sticks" you stick up your nose are all fine and non addictive.
6. STEAM to unblock sinuses
7. Saline sprays
8. Cold turkey

Good luck.

Oh gosh I did this to myself during a really heavy cold. They were like magic at first but then after a while it dawned on me that the cold had gone and the blocked nose was still with me.
I'm another one who went cold turkey, it wasn't pretty but I cleared it in about ten days.
I haven't touched them since.

No you use the salt and it's painless. Without salt it hurts.

Balloon sinuplasty is supposed to be great. I've just searched and they do it near me so have enquired.

I use:

• Incarvexx saline and iodine spray - it’s brilliant.
• Steam inhaler mug with drops of Olbas oil
• Herbal tinctures of plantain, thyme, rosemary, eucalyptus, pine, ginger.

I had this and had some really nasty polyps as well.

I used some heavy duty steroid nasal drops that were prescribed by my ENT and not on the NHS and they cost £74. Then I had my polyps removed under general. I use a steroid nasal spray every day as well as a saline spray to keep it all clean and clear.

I had a bad cold this winter and my sinuses took a beating but an uncomfortable nasal douche before bed cleaned them out and it was DISGUSTING and satisfying what came out. Honestly. Grim.

I lived with polyps for about a year and it was awful.

lloydspharmacy.com/products/sterimar-isotonic-nasal-hygiene-100ml?gclid=Cj0KCQiA5NSdBhDfARIsALzs2EAc4-Tk3zVnKFdDo5z2uro7cr2Bc-w_2HYTfzx8Ar7_IgL6I61tGHQaAitWEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Then get a NeilMed sinus rinse kit.

@ThatshallotBaby yes it's finally gone but I had to have a seven day course of antibiotics as GP said it sounded infected. I was hot all around the face and puffier than normal. I do still use the Sterimar occasionally as I feel my sinus isn't draining great but that predates Covid. The odd thing is, Covid was a two day wonder for me. I really didn't feel ill, but clearly the virus was all upper respiratory and stayed there.

May be worth asking if you need Antibiotics? Hope you get some relief. The vertigo was scary, although mostly worst first thing in the morning which ties in with the gunk all lying there.

Another one who falls back in to trap again because I have nose issues. The other thing that helps me when going cold Turkey (which I'm going to do again after reading this) are breathe right nose strips in the anti snore section. They are pretty expensive for what they are but help me in the night time hugely.

@spuddel
Glad it’s gone. Yes I was on antibiotics for 4 weeks! It was absolute agony. Vertigo the entire time. Now the pain has mostly gone, just this pressure and terrible vertigo.