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 agree. You can actually get just as good results by using a neti pot saline solution device and then doing the bellows breathing technique. It’s incredible how clear you can breathe afterwards and no rebound congestion!

I think mine is hayfever related too. Hence not needing to use them at the moment. I won't be doing again either.

My ears are the reason I do sinus irrigation! I used to have so much trouble with them, it's been loads better since I started irrigating. I'd definitely give it a try.

NeilMed Sinugator is amazing.

To my knowledge, rebound congestion only occurs when a topical nasal spray is used.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538318/

I've never heard of rebound congestion using systemic tablets. They are just vaso constrictors.

Who knew!! Surprised how many of us there are!

I'll rephrase it, I get rebound congestion. I have repeat prescription for tablets because of ear problems so have had to take them a lot! The congestion is in my ears though so maybe that's why other people don't notice it.

I had no idea about this-thank you for sharing op!

i have to be so careful with nasal sprays now because of this, they are so addictive. The only way unfortunately is going cold turkey, but I find to help ease the suffering is to just use the spray in one nostril, so get some relief to the congestion, plus putting a load of pillows behind me so sleeping quite upright. The congestion is always worse when flat. Unfortunately have to accept you’re going to have some rough nights and not get much sleep. Good luck

They work by constricting blood vessels which ultimately rebound back to congested and gradually because your body LIKES blood flow they retaliate.

Go cold turkey use sterimar saline nasal spray twice a day to clear out any mucous and in a few weeks of discomfort you'll be back to normal. If you've any predisposing factors they can also lead to high eye pressures and glaucoma. Just stop and put up with the discomfort for a bit.

Have you tried nasal rinse? You rinse through one nostril with salt water and it comes out the other nostril. Helps with inflammation and clogging etc. I've had long term probs with blocked nose but this seems to be helping.

I'm imagining this poster primping away from the thread in a cloud of smuggery.

I switched to a natural saltwater spray to wean myself off and it worked. I only use these now and only when I’m really blocked up!

I have a kids one for DS too as he suffers with congestion but only use it when he’s so blocked up he can’t breath properly

This happened to me. I had a badly deviated septum and constantly had a blocked nose so started using the spray. My god the relief. But then when I tried to stop using it the congestion got worse so I had to keep using it and got into a vicious cycle.

I just stopped in the end, cold turkey. My nose was blocked for a while but it eventually passed, maybe after a week. I later ended up having surgery to correct my septum and sinuses and I couldn’t breathe through my nose for a month while recovering. It’s horrible but you get through it, just accept you’ll only be able to breathe through your mouth for a week or so, don’t try to force your nose to breathe. You could try things like saline rinses which can sometimes help with congestion. There’s a kit called NeilMed that you can get in the pharmacy or on Amazon.

I read something about how tucking your arm under your ribs while lying on your side can help. No idea if it works but it’s worth a go!

I used to work with someone that was addicted to either night nurse or benylin, I can't remember which. Se used to swig it by the bottle on a daily basis.
Her spreadsheets were a bit dodgy.

Fuck this is me. Unfortunately I also have a badly deviated septum that needs sorting

Yes, I’ve been dependent on them for 25 years now 😬

This is good.
Look up reflexology to relieve sinuses, they are very effective.

Acupuncture was a game changer for my son with sinus congestion and migraine.

Ivy thyme tinctures are excellent for nasel drip IMO.

Me too… totally dependant on it. I suffer from nasal polyps and and am always blocked up to some degree. Without the spray I can’t breathe properly and wake up constantly through the night. It’s awful.
I’ve come off it a couple of times (for several weeks at least) through sheer willpower.. but a cold is enough to send me back to it as I get a lot more stuffed up and for longer than someone without polyps. Ugh 😑
Stopping one nostril at a time is a good idea… takes a bit longer but at least you have one side that’s not totally blocked!

I don't use the nasal sprays, but have taken decongestant tablets for many years as I have perennial rhinitis (like hay fever but all year round). The pharmacists are always careful to advise that they should not be taken long-term as your body gets used to them, and prolonged use can make matters worse rather than better. I don't take them every day, just one occasionally when I'm really blocked up, or if I have a cold making things worse.

Obviously one of the rare breed who immediately removes the instruction leaflet from every medicine packet and reads thoroughly with a magnifying glass

I've never heard of this as I've never used them (despite being a very stuffy nosed person all the time) I prefer a few dabs of Olbas oil on my sheet.

Can someone explain what actually happens? Does your nose produce more mucus to fight the irritation of too much spraying?

I was addicted to it for 2 years! Hated it so much and tried to come off but it was awful 😞
The thing that finally helped me was replacing it with Sterimar nasal spray (just salt water, no steroids) and slowly over the course of about a month I was able to stop Sterimar too. Now, I can sleep without any nasal spray, thank god!

And when I had post covid sinus infection I used this. Such relief!!!

lloydspharmacy.com/products/neilmed-adult-sinus-rinse-starter-kit-10-sachets?variant=39727529459775

I have had this problem, I was addicted to Vicks Sinex for years. Couldn’t sleep without it, I wouldn’t ever leave home without one in my bag and would go into a complete panic if I thought I didn’t have one. I eventually weaned myself it by using Sterimar spray from Boots, if I remember correctly it’s just purified water. It was hell for a few days but it worked for me and after a few weeks I was able to stop using it. I still use Ollbas oil at night to sleep but I never use the sprays anymore if I have a cold…I don’t trust myself!

The drug acts to constrict blood vessels, thereby creating less inflammation in the nasal membranes when you have a cold or an allergy.

When you use the spray too much, when it starts to wear off, your blood vessels respond by filling with blood again, sometimes more than they were before, so you become even more congested.
You start to need the spray more often, and at greater doses, just to be able to breathe through your nose.
Rhinitis Medicamentosa just means a rhinitis (nasal inflammation) caused by the medication you are taking.
It's somewhat ironic that the side effect is the same as the condition you are trying to treat.
It's not really to do with mucous at all, it's inflammation of the blood vessels lining the nasal passages. Which is why the medication actually works so fantastically in the first place, it takes down the inflammation when you have a cold.
It's over use which is the problem.