How Quickly Does Afrin Addiction Develop
How quickly oxymetazoline addiction develops depends on how much you use and how bad the problem is. If you use it only occasionally and do not take large amounts, then its unlikely that you will experience a problem. The same goes for anyone who only uses Afrin and similar sprays when they have a sinus issue or an allergy outbreak.
However, as soon as you begin to use more and more, whether because you are chasing the Afrin high or because you want to be able to breathe easier, then you are at risk of developing addiction. The label warns against using it for more than 3 days in a row, but this is just to be on the safe side and addiction shouldnt develop as quickly as three days. It may develop after just a week or two though.
The Physical Dangers Of Afrin Addiction
Afrin is considered a “chemical tourniquet.” The longer that the nose is forced to constrict the vessels, the more it will be deprived of nutrients and oxygen that it needs to thrive. The constant reduction in blood flow can manifest itself through physical damage to the nasal passage.
What To Expect At A Nasal Spray Addiction Rehab Facility
Depending on the severity of your addiction, you should consider a nasal spray addiction rehab that specializes in your addiction. A rehab center is your best bet for successful recovery because it allows you to be away from your normal surroundings, and stay focused on your treatment.
Besides a fresh environment, you will also surround yourself with people who are overcoming a challenge like yours. You also have access to knowledgeable medical practitioners and mentors with experience in helping clients. Some rehabs provide a setting where you can have a balance of therapy and recreation time, which boosts your recovery process.
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Importance Of A Nasal Spray Addiction Treatment Center
Various treatments are available to tackle the negative effects of drug overuse and addiction. Studies show a combination of medicines to counter addiction, and effective rehabilitation programs like our nasal spray addiction treatment center is the proven way to cure patients. When treatment designs are based on each patients past drug abuse record and his or her emotional, social and health history, there is a high chance of sustained recovery. If the patient is committed and embraces the rehab therapies, the outcome would be a life without drug addiction. Help is available 24/7 at our nasal spray addiction treatment center in Florida, call this number for a free personal consultation .
Myth : You Can Get Addicted To Nasal Sprays
This one is partially true. Decongestant nasal sprays can cause rebound congestion or rhinitis medicamentosa. The rebound effect is when your congestion can worsen when you stop using the decongestant nasal spray after long-term use, and its relatively common. In one study, half of the almost 900 participants with nasal congestion used their decongestant sprays for longer than recommended .
The reason behind rhinitis medicamentosa has to do with how these sprays work. Many over-the-counter decongestant nasal sprays work by constricting blood vessels that cause inflammation and increased mucus production inside the nose. When the blood vessels shrink, so does the inflammation and runny nose .
The effects of decongestant nasal sprays dont last long when the medication wears off, the vessels swell againand the runny nose returns. You have to use the nasal spray again to experience relief. Some research shows this can create an addictive pattern in some people who feel compelled to continually use more and more of the medication to get the same relief .
While scientists dont know the exact mechanism of rhinitis medicamentosa, they hypothesize that using decongestant nasal sprays long-term can lead to changes in your nasal mucosa and its blood vessels, contributing to rebound congestion. Also, some people may need a higher dose of the decongestant for it to work because the nasal mucosa gets used to it .
- Increased congestion between doses
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How To Wean Yourself Off Nasal Spray
Afrin, Oxymetazoline, Neo-Synephrine, Phenylephrine, and other over-the-counter decongestant sprays are common short-term remedies against nasal blockages, colds, sinusitis, and allergies. Afrin and other related decongestant nasal sprays These are popular over-the-counter nasal sprays that treat nasal congestion and nasal blockages caused by sinusitis, upper respiratory tract infections, or allergies. Sources: 3, 7
Nasal spray types Nasal spray is a type of drug that is inhaled through the nose. Nasal sprays containing phenylephrine, neo-synephrine, oxymetazoline, or xylometazoline are considered decongestant nasal sprays. These sprays contain an effective vasoconstricting agent that essentially reduces blood flow to a persons nose when the spray is used, resulting in a reduction in edema of the nasal mucosa. Sources: 7, 8
Nasal sprays contain corticosteroids to reduce swelling in the nasal passages. Saline sprays act like mucus to flush out irritating substances before they cause inflammation. If the nose is irritated by dry winter air, salt sprays can add healing moisture. Sources: 8
Whenever they use the spray, the blood vessels narrow in the nose, causing the nasal tissue to shrink. As the duration of action of the nasal spray decreases, it can be used again and again to achieve the same effect. Patients with such a nose become essentially addicted to the spray to get temporary relief from the worst. Sources: 3, 7, 11
Suffering From Nasal Spray Addiction Step : Put Down The Afrin
If you suffer from seasonal allergies or an upper respiratory infection, your friends may warn you about the dangers of Afrin addiction. If you use it once, your body will become dependent on it, they say. While its not considered an addiction in the usual sense, your body can become dependent on the drug. Doctors call this phenomenon rebound congestion, or rhinitis medicamentosa, and it is a very real problem. In fact, it could be responsible for up to 9% of visits to allergists and ENT doctors.
Afrin is a nasal decongestant spray sometimes used to relieve a stuffy nose and sinus pressure. As cold and flu season begins, youre more likely to use this OTC remedy. But you should beware of the side effects of using it too often.
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The Causes Of Nasal Spray Dependency
As a consequence, the user continues to spray in order to get rid of the stuffy nose and to breathe freely. When the nasal spray is used for a longer period, dependency arises. When xylometazoline is not administered frequently, the nose will remain congested. The inability to breathe freely is highly uncomfortable and causes many users to continue their use. Addiction to nasal sprays then arises.
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Other Issues With Decongestant Nasal Sprays
In addition, sometimes people abuse pseudoephedrine by using it to make an illegal recreational drug, methamphetamine, according to information from the American Academy of Family Physicians.
For this reason, some states may require a doctors prescription for these products. In others, pharmacies may keep products containing this chemical behind the counter, even though they do not need a prescription.
There may also be a limit on how much you can buy each month, and individuals may have to show ID or give personal details when they buy this type of decongestant.
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Can You Overcome An Afrin Addiction
Have you ever become addicted to your nasal spray? Millions of people do. Decongestant nasal sprays can be used safely for only a few days before they start to produce rebound congestion that can be quite uncomfortable. No wonder so many folks end up with an Afrin addiction, though any decongestant nasal spray can cause this problem. One reader found an unusual method to break the habit.
How To Avoid Afrin Rebound
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Is There A Bad Nose Spray
First of all, lets be clear that there is not a bad nose spray. The problem only occurs when a nose spray is used incorrectly. It is important to not just say nose spray but to use the name and understand the medications purpose.
A nasal spray is any kind of medication thats inhaled through the nose, and the 4 basic categories include:
Each of these sprays has a different purpose and a different reason for use. Always discuss with your physician how it should be used and not just use it like you did another nose spray. I have had way too many parents say they thought all nose sprays could be used the same way. Nope
Check out this post by the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology where they have a pretty extensive list of nasal sprays.
When You Need Professional Treatment For A Real Substance Addiction
Many people entering our rehab center who are addicted to snorting cocaine, crushed opioid pills or methamphetamine have become heavily dependent on Afrin or other nasal sprays containing oxymetazoline or phenylephrine hydrochloride. Snorting drugs is known to gradually destroy nasal passage tissues. Frequent nosebleeds and the development of ulcerations within the nasal passages commonly affect cocaine and meth abusers and intensify the inflammation and swelling of nasal tissues.
FHE Health is a leading substance abuse and mental health treatment facility in Southern Florida that provides personalized care, medical detoxification services and inpatient/outpatient treatment programs to help adolescents and adults regain their physical and psychological health. We also specialize in treating co-occurring disorders involving substance addictions and mental illnesses. Please call us today if you or someone you know has co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders.
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Are Nasal Sprays Addictive
Addictions are physiological cravings and while over-the-counter nasal sprays can be addictive, they arent true physiological cravings. Therefore, they are not truly an addictive substance. However, they can be addictive due to the ongoing cycle of decongestion and congestion that they create.
Some common brands of nasal spray are
- Vicks Sinex
How To Beat Nose Spray Dependence One Nostril At A Time
Decongestant nose spray is fabulous when your nasal passages are so congested you cant breathe. Just a spritz can open clogged sinuses. However, such nasal sprays have a big downside: nose spray addiction. If a decongestant spray is used for more than a week, the tissues of the nose become dependent on it. Stopping it suddenly results in rebound congestion, and suddenly you cant breathe again! Sometimes people get stuck in this vicious cycle for years. How can you overcome it and break your nose spray dependence?
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Nasal Sprays Can Bring On Vicious Cycle
Very few drugs relieve a symptom as speedily as an over-the-counter decongestant nasal spray clears a stuffy nose.
A couple of squirts can shrink swollen tissues in seconds to minutes, letting in an exhilarating rush of fresh air. With some sprays, a single dose works for as long as 12 hours.
But relief provided by nasal spray decongestants like Afrin and Neo-Synephrine comes at a price: the risk of rebound congestion caused by overuse and, for some people, a vicious cycle of overuse and dependence that feels like an addiction.
“It works so well that you tend to keep using it,” says Dr. David Vernick, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “You’re used to breathing well with the spray, and when you stop it, you get congested. So you use it a little more frequently, yet the congestion doesn’t clear up for long.”
That’s because after three or four days of continuous use, the sprays can cause the nasal linings to swell up again, even when the cold or attack of sinusitis or allergy that originally caused the problem has passed. If this pattern continues, a patient has a good chance of becoming trapped in a vicious cycle of overuse and dependence that can last for months or years.
Confessions of nasal spray addiction now crop up regularly on Internet discussion forums: one site, afrinaddiction.com, markets a book of tips for kicking the habit.
How To Stop Nasal Spray Addiction
Admitting there is a problem is the first step. Next, you should seek proper guidance, detoxify your body and commit to a nasal spray addiction treatment center. But it doesnt stop there. You should also make a dedication to your overall well-being and sobriety, and then stay fully committed to a recovery program.
Here are the possible steps you should take if youre seeking recovery from oxymetazoline abuse:
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Causes Of Rebound Congestion
The reasons why rebound congestion occurs are complicated and not well understood. you may again begin to feel severe congestion, which is only relieved by the additional use of a nasal decongestant spray. Thus, a vicious cycle is set up. This is thought to be related to two possible causes:
- Use of nasal decongestant causes inadequate blood supply which causes swelling to occur in your nasal passages.
- Use of nasal decongestants causes nasal receptors that respond to decongestants to down-regulate which leads to congestion.
How I Beat My Afrin Addiction
tmchap88226427 over a year ago
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Guest over a year ago
Every few hours? That’s crazy. You are/were addicted. I’ve used it every day for years but I’m not addicted. I only use one half to one squirt at night before bed it helps me get a great nights sleep. I can’t use it any more than that or it will cause me to have to use it more. If my nose is plugged in the day I have to use something else. This is just what I do…I’m not a doctor so I can’t recommend it. 🙂
Guest over a year ago
Great board for sharing tips. I used for over two years, anywhere from 3 to 10 times a day, a few sprays in each nostril with each time used. I would even wake up in the middle of the night and have to spray. For two or three days two weeks ago, one nostril woudl just not open. One morning I woke up and the other nostril was clear, so I seized the opportunity to get off cold turkey. I told myself that days of mouth breathing and sleeplessness were ahead of me, but in a few weeks, I would be better.
I have been “clean” for a week and a half. After three days, all the pressure was gone. The one nostril that tended to always be worse than the other is still a little stuffed at times, but there’s virtually no pressure. each day gets better.
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How Do I Use Afrin Nose Spray
Many people avoid reading the labels on medications, but it is extremely helpful! Over the counter medications and products are always assumed to be safe because anyone can buy them at any time. Please know that all products we put into or onto our bodies may have side-effects or complications that you may not expect.
Examples of misuse of over the counter products include excessive use of Tylenol leading to liver failure and using vaseline inside the nose instead of only on the skin! Reading the labels and following directions is important especially when you do not have a physician prescribing a treatment!
The dosing for Afrin nose spray is 2 puffs in each nostril twice each day. You should NOT use it more than every 10-12 hours.
AND most importantly, you should not use Afrin more than 3 days in a row. The million dollar question is why cant you use this awesome medication for more than three days?
Pro-tip: Please hide the Afrin nose spray from kids because they learn that it helps them to sleep at night, so they will self-medicate. I have treated more than my fair share of teens who use Afrin every other night because they cannot tolerate the withdrawal symptoms!
How Can I Avoid Severe Afrin Addiction
Steps to avoid severe Afrin addiction or dependence:
- never use it for more than 3 days.
- consult your primary care physician to learn about the underlying nasal problem
- consider using nasal steroid which are long term anti-inflammatory medications to reduce swelling
- See an ENT surgeon to determine if there is a structural problem like enlarged adenoid, deviated septum, enlarged turbinates or chronic sinus infection
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Is Flonase Addictive Like Afrin
Flonase is a nasal spray prescribed by doctors for relieving symptoms of allergies and sinusitis. Belonging to the corticosteroid class of drugs, Flonase works differently than Afrin. In addition to reducing inflammation, Flonase also blocks the irritating effects of pollen, dust, mold and pet dander. Also, while Afrin starts working immediately to relieve congestion, Flonase users may not feel congestion relief for a few days.
Although Flonase doesnt cause a rebound effect like Afrin does, long-term use of corticosteroid nasal sprays can promote recurring nosebleeds and headaches.
