I became addicted 10 years ago. I used it steadily for three years. It can damage your nasal tissues by robbing them of blood flow. After long enough use, the tissues can become necrotic. You don’t want that. It’s worth any discomfort to free yourself of that addiction.

Here’s what I did. I chose to go off cold turkey because weening wasn’t effective. I quit one day before Christmas because I was on vacation and didn’t have to be anywhere. The first day my nasal passages closed tight. Zero air could pass even forced. Now I was a mouth breather.

Mouth breathing will dry out your tongue fast. Don’t swallow water more than your typical drinking amount. Rinse and spit or better yet, sugar free menthol cough drops. Buy the family pack.

I didn’t sleep the first night because my mouth was so dry. I tried to set up a humidifier aimed directly at my open mouth but when I dozed off I’d move out of the direction of the vapor and my mouth would dry out. Don’t give in. Tough it out. Watch movies. Doze if you can, but don’t expect to be rested. The next day was the worst because I was tired AND a mouth breather. When you swallow it will suck because doing s will create a vacuum that pops your ear drums. It won’t be a pleasure to eat or drink.

It was 5.5 days before I felt the slightest ease of pressure in my nasal tissue. No air would pass but I knew I was making progress. Incidentally I did sleep on night 3 but only in fits and my tongue was leather. Try not to sleep with a cough drop in your mouth. You will choke. On day six one side opened slightly. Couldn’t get enough air to breathe but I could swallow normally. Day 7 was like having a head cold. Nasal passages would cycle open enough for labored breathing and then close back up for awhile. I’d sleep when they were open. Now is when menthol is really helpful.

On day nine I was normal. Fully opened passages and mouth closed. What a relief. I was free. Now, there are things you can do to temporarily open your passages if you are desperate but they are short periods. One thing you can do is eat chips and spicy salsa. And I mean sweat on your scalp spicy. Use that time to introduce menthol from cough drops. This will buy you maybe an hour. Another thing you can do is have sex. I won’t explain it to you but at the end you get about 5-7 mins of open passages. More fun than salsa.

That’s it. You cannot afford to procrastinate this. If I ever use Afrin et alia., I spray one squirt in one nostril for one night only at night. It will rebound 20 hours later but by then the other nostril has cleared naturally and I’m back to normal by morning.

I was addicted to Afrin. I shook loose by using Flonase in one nostril and Afrin in the other. Once I was able to breathe freely in the Flonase nostril I switched to the other and was finally able to breathe freely on both sides.

I'm committed to only using Flonase.

A few years ago I had surgery to fix a deviated septum and open up my sinuses. After the surgery the doc prescribed Afrin. That was the first time I ever used Afrin and it was amazing, I’m glad that I didn’t know about it before then.

I use it now very infrequently, maybe a couple nights a month and try not to use it on consecutive nights.

quote:

Originally posted by kx90:
A few years ago I had surgery to fix a deviated septum and open up my sinuses. After the surgery the doc prescribed Afrin. That was the first time I ever used Afrin and it was amazing, ...

That's where I got hooked.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:
I've been on it pretty steady since 2003.

That's... not healthy.

Not to mention expensive. Think about how much you've spent on Afrin alone in the past 20 years!

We buy the generic, but we buy a lot of it. One at work, one in my work bag, one in both cars, one by the bed, one in the kitchen, one by the tv.

Typing that... man, that's crazy.

So are we talking about something more than a simple saline spray? I was about to post that I use the stuff frequently due to the dry air in Utah, but I'm starting to think that isn't what you guys are talking about.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
So are we talking about something more than a simple saline spray? I was about to post that I use the stuff frequently due to the dry air in Utah, but I'm starting to think that isn't what you guys are talking about.

Correct. Use saline nose spray all you need to. No problems.

Afrin is just one brand name out of many for oxymetazoline. One needs to look at the active ingredient written in fine prints, when buying a nasal spray. If you see oxymetazoline, that's the 3-day-only-use spray.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
So are we talking about something more than a simple saline spray?

Definitely:

quote:

Afrin stimulates receptors in the smooth muscle of the blood vessels in the nose and makes them narrow (constrict). When the blood vessels constrict, it reduces nasal congestion.

Not something of which one should make a habit of using, I should think.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
So are we talking about something more than a simple saline spray? I was about to post that I use the stuff frequently due to the dry air in Utah, but I'm starting to think that isn't what you guys are talking about.

Correct. Use saline nose spray all you need to. No problems.

Afrin is just one brand name out of many for oxymetazoline. One needs to look at the active ingredient written in fine prints, when buying a nasal spray. If you see oxymetazoline, that's the 3-day-only-use spray.

Ah, I see. Thank you. I'll stick with the saline stuff and the occasional Xlear spray then.

quote:

Originally posted by VBVAGUY:
How about the menthol type products that you sniff are those addicting and they seem to open my nasal passages. God Bless

In addition to stuff like Rhinase and Ayr soothing nasal gel to keep my airways from drying up when using my CPAP, I use Arm & Hammer Simply Saline spray.

For inhalers I've tried numerous types (e.g. Vicks, Herbion, Oibas, Poy-sian, etc.) and found the later to provide the best relief -and- no addictive issues.
https://www.amazon.com/Poysian...haler/dp/B01FLJN7I6/

I used to take all of that stuff and went cold turkey and use saline spray only and I am a lot better off now... used to have a scrip for whatever had the D stuff in it and blame it on putting me into High blood poressure.

Saline only for the last 15 yrs and i am allergic to weeds ,trees ,dust , mold and live in Oklahoma. Its really special when we get hit with Mold and Cedar pollen and Ragweed at the same time.

quote:

Originally posted by cajunmuscle:
I've got myself in a bad spot with the nasal spray (Afrin). I cant breathe without now. It's called rebound congestion I think. Trying to ramp it down now, but I get desperate to breathe and know it's only a pump away. It's really bad at night. I'm to the point now where every few hours I'm having to use it. Any other "junkies" on site? Any tips to come off this stuff?

I was given a lecture on rebound congestion and the use of Afrin yesterday by my family doctor.

After 4 weeks of sleepless nights, 3 boxes of kleenex tissue, 3 bottles of Afrin, 1 box of Clarition and countless salt water rinses, I finally went to the Doctor yesterday. He loaded me down with Fluticasone nasal spray, Doxycycline, A-HIST DM and Prednisone. This morning was the first time I could smell anything in a month.

I steer clear of the stuff.
I just use a sinus rinse with saline when I'm really congested and it does the trick.

I had it bad, used for many many years. Stop using in one nostril and use normally in other. Within a couple weeks the nostril you ae not using it in will open. I then just used in the one nostril before bedtime only. Soon I was clear and stopped altogether, take your time and quit slowly, took me about 6 weeks. Have never used it since. Also don't expect to be congestion free all the time, even people that have never used the stuff have congestion, some is normal.

Flonase is the right stuff, if you are a Costco member, they sell Kirkland Aller-Flo, it's a generic Flonase, $19,99 for 5 bottles of 144 metered sprays, compare it to the 3 bottles of Flonase (Brand name) at Costco Pack for $53.

Its the exact same stuff Fluticasone Propionate(Glucocorticoid) 50 mcg.

Even Smells the same, which is pretty good...


Link



Edited to add:

Flonase won't create the instant "hit" you are used to with Afrin or other OTC products, it takes time to work possibly over a day or so to get really working. So you might find yourself using Afrin at some point for the basic relief you need to be able to breath through your nose.

I switched from Afrin to Xicam Gel based spray for those times when the things that trigger my sinus to completely shut down, as a supplement to Flonase, no matter what they tell you, there will be times that you need a stronger hitting solution, however it will be way less than if you are not on Flonase..

This message has been edited. Last edited by: HRK,

That happened to me once. I stopped using it cold turkey, which meant I had an unpleasant week.

I am now very careful when I use Afrin and the like.

On a related issue there are rebound headaches caused by regular use of headache medications particularly migraines

quote:

Flonase won't create the instant "hit" you are used to with Afrin or other OTC products, it takes time to work possibly over a day or so to get really working.

I actually do get instant relief using Flonase. Almost immediate. Maybe it works differently for people.

I've never heard of this. I have had others, family, friends doctors sing the praises of nasal spray, and all manner of other products, but I avoid all these OTC concoctions like the plague. The condition(s) would need to be very severe to change my mind.

I take very few meds and am lucky to have no health conditions, as yet, to force me to do otherwise.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:

quote:

Flonase won't create the instant "hit" you are used to with Afrin or other OTC products, it takes time to work possibly over a day or so to get really working.

I actually do get instant relief using Flonase. Almost immediate. Maybe it works differently for people.

That's great if it gives you the relief you need, for me, there are times when sinus pressure builds so quickly and strongly that supplemental help is needed Flonase can't keep up...

JMO, Flonase daily, and when needed for relief some form of OTC spray to relieve the pressure, for which I use Xicam after getting off the Afrin train...

IF you use it daily it's probably because of that, but even Flonase doesn't tout it as an immediate sinus pressure relief medication. It's more of a continuous use medication.
There FAQ page states this: (As did my allergist) Link.


You may start to feel relief after the first day—and full effect after several days of regular once-a-day use.

Use FLONASE every day as full effectiveness is usually achieved after 3 or 4 days of continuous use.

Admittedly I get off Flonase on a regular schedule and that's partially the issue, for me.