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 spent most of my twenties on these! Had no idea it was them causing the problem and just assumed my sinuses were fucked. I had to buy so many bottles and would panic if I forgot one when I went out.

When I finally heard about rebound congestion I had to go cold turkey and it was pretty horrific. They make your nose even more blocked than any cold ever would and my head would feel like it was going to explode under the pressure. When I was finally naturally unblocked I couldn’t believe it was possible for me to be able to breathe so clearly naturally!

I still give into them occasionally if I have a cold and blocked nose but I get back in the cycle within a couple of days now and have to wean myself back off. I’ve literally just got off them from one of these horrid viruses going round over Christmas. I feel like I have to wait for a few days when I have no plans to eat out and I’m not seeing anyone as I can barely speak or eat when I’m that blocked, it’s so uncomfortable.

My tips, similar to above, try to spread out the sprays as long as possible and just one small squirt in each nostril, rather than two.

Doing one nostril while the other one clears is a good tactic too.

Beconase spray and an antihistamine each day can help take the edge off.

The nasal rinses help too. I found the large sterimar nasal rinse they do now that practically squirts salt water into your brains it’s so high pressure is very refreshing!

I also found the sinex one seemed oh so slightly less addictive this time round compared to other brands. I think it squirts less out and a lower dose perhaps?

Im back and breathing clearly again now and have never appreciated a healthy nose so much!

This is why I eat wasabi peas, mustard or horseradish when I have a cold. Clear the sinuses whilst, generally, leaving your nose intact.

I was heavily dependent for a few years!

I couldn't cope with cold turkey but just used it in one nostril, after around a week my un-sprayed side was back to normal and I could stop using it in the other side too 🙂

I had this issue with Otrivine - bloody amazing stuff - worked so well - until I became dependant on it for breathing. I just had to go cold turkey in the end after several months - a few weeks of my nose being really congested (through use of the spray) and I eventually cleared and felt normal again.

I was in this exact boat! Used it for years. I called the GP and they prescribed a steroid spray which fixed me within days. It turns out the active ingredient is just the same as beconase hayfever spray! 2 sprays morning and night

This is going to sound weird but I would start yoga or Pilates a couple of times a week.

My sinuses are awful because I have tiny ear canals so they struggle to equalise. And I got in the bad habit of breathing through my mouth.

Since taking up regular breathing based excercise I can now breathe through my nose as standard. Took a few months but it was surprising to me how just spending a few hours a week concentrating on breathing in the nose out the mouth makes such a difference.

You can also start getting deeper and practice alternate nose breathing which works wonders for ear and sinus.

I heard somewhere once that constantly using a vicks inhaler could rot your septum like sniffing coke does. Don't know how true it is but a friend was totally addicted to vicks inhaler after quitting smoking so I told him what I'd heard and he threw it straight in the bin and never used it again (nor smoked).

I used to be addicted to it for years as a teen. I eventually came up with what others have learnt too - to only use it in one nostril at a time so you can breath but then are not getting rebound blocked nose in both nostrils.
i used to get anxiety if I forgot my spray at home!

i hadn’t used it for years but had to use it a couple of weeks ago for about 5 days with this horrible flu thing going around. It made me so congested. But again I only used it in one nostril (I never breath clearly through both nostrils anyway) I get very claustrophobic and feel like I can’t breath if I can’t breath through my nosex

I only use otrivine - the feeling though when it works! Love it!

At the risk of sounding like an ignorant plank I didn't know this was a thing, I have never used a nasal spray that properly works so I just mouth breathe until I get better 😕

You could reduce down slowly, for e.g. take one Sudafed congestion tab every day, and bin the spray. Also try steam with towel over your head and vicks vapo rub under your feet at night and put on socks, works like a charm. Good luck!

use this morning and night instead, works like a dream: www.amazon.co.uk/NeilMed-Sinus-Rinse-Premixed-Sachets/dp/B00TU5P33K/ref=sxts_rp_s_1_0?content-id=amzn1.sym.76e6cae7-93ea-428e-ab83-8013e6a0fee5%3Aamzn1.sym.76e6cae7-93ea-428e-ab83-8013e6a0fee5&cv_ct_cx=NeilMed&keywords=NeilMed&pd_rd_i=B00TU5P33K&pd_rd_r=89529d4e-6be8-4772-89d1-39d5c696114d&pd_rd_w=vBJt6&pd_rd_wg=uRkbg&pf_rd_p=76e6cae7-93ea-428e-ab83-8013e6a0fee5&pf_rd_r=B27AVVWRMQR0AHBR1ERH&qid=1672869229&sr=1-1-1890b328-3a40-4864-baa0-a8eddba1bf6a

Never knew this!

Thanks for the warning.

I’ve been addicted for years, didn’t know so many people were! As if it’s an actual thing!

Glad for the warning I started a few days ago with blocked sinuses, nasal passages etc and literally couldn’t breathe due to phlegm which scared me somewhat
I bought a nasal spray and decongestant tablets to top up my inhalers
thankfully the Sudafed tabs helped do haven’t used the spray as yet and now won’t risk it

This may sound stupid, but why don't people just breathe through their mouths until their noses return to normal? I don't know why some are saying they'll be addicted forever?

firstly it’s uncomfortable, secondly, difficult when trying to eat or drink, thirdly doing this all night can give you a really sore throat because your mouth gets really dry, lastly it’s not like just a blocked nose, it makes your nose feel like it’s completely stuffed with cotton wool. It’s a horrible heavy, pressured feeling and not like a simple blocked nose where usually one nostril works better than the other and you can still just about manage to breathe. Honestly, rebound congestion is a very different feeling to a blocked nose due to a cold, it’s way more uncomfortable

I've been using one for 10yrs now. Had periods of time where I've been "cured" with Beconase and Neilmed but always end up back on Otrivine.

Thanks for the warning. I used to get horribly blocked up sinuses and was amazed by the powerful effect of nasal sprays (the ephidrine ones). I didn't know there could be long term effects from using them, but realised that the nasal spray just temporarily relieved the problem, and didn't clear the original issue. So the only way to truly get over the blocked sinuses was to tough it out and wait for the infection to clear up. So l stopped using nasal sprays, thank goodness.

Having said that, I do use a Beconaise steroidal spray (recommended by my GP) which has been amazing for stopping rhinitis...but that's a totally different problem.

Can I ask whether this has had an impact on anyones sense of smell in the long term?

I had this for 9 years with constant sneezing thrown in (not triggered by Sudafed Spray but by a few weeks of dust when my house was being renovated). Eventually had to have my turbinates removed and it has worked. The operation was a year ago and so far, so good with no side effects.

I have loads of bottles of nasal sprays dotted around the house. I had absolutely NO idea this was a thing!

I actually can't remember the last time I used one but I think I most definitely was addicted at one point.

Im going to go and throw them all out right now.

Thank you so much for posting OP.

I was using decongestant sprays 2/3 times a day for months. I couldn't bear that feeling of having a blocked nose. I spoke to my pharmacist who said I needed to just stop using them. I had 2 weeks where my nose was blocked almost the whole time - I caved a couple of times at night and used the spray as I couldn't sleep, but now I haven't used it at all for weeks.

I'm dreading hayfever season as that always gums up my nose and I think that's what started this year's addiction to the sprays.

The menthol one is just divine, that minty coldness in my nose then ahhhh that feeling when I can breathe again...

Wean yourself off it by only using it in one nostril, alternating between them.

This thread is a revelation. I have recurring sinusitis and one permanently blocked nostril.

For anyone addicted to them right now, its really important to try and get off them as it can cause long term damage to your nasal passages (and can increase blood pressure too). It’s hard, but plough through it (it takes me about 2-3 days) and it will be an absolute revelation when you realise how clearly you can breathe on your own without them. The pressure will lift from your head eventually and you’ll never have to worry about carrying a spray around again!

You get done rebound congestion with tablets too, just not as awful. So it's not necessarily a fix.