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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…

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 Is Afrin Addictive?

Afrin contains oxymetazoline, an ingredient that causes temporary nasal blood vessel narrowing. When used as directed, it reduces nasal congestion. Frequent use of oxymetazoline can cause worsening of nasal congestion after usage is stopped. Some people may continuously use Afrin to avoid these worsening symptoms, and this is often described as “Afrin addiction”.

Articles of Interest

Best to skip the Afrin and other nasal sprays when you get a cold

Decongestants like Afrin and Dristan, he said, should be used for short-term periods, such as during a cold. “They work very well and rapidly,” Bosso said, “but after 3 or 4 days of consecutive uses, people start getting a rebound effect.” That means that users often start getting more congestion once they stop using the spray – and the longer they use it, the more it causes the medicine to work for a shorter period of time. That, he said, is “where the addiction can come in.”

How to Beat Nose Spray Dependence One Nostril at a Time

Decongestant nasal sprays such as Afrin can lead to rebound congestion if they are overused. How can you overcome such nose spray dependence?

Systemic side effects of locally used oxymetazoline

Due to the damage that the long-term use of nasal spray including oxymetazoline, it may cause injury on the end organ, which we revealed in our histopathological experiments. We believe that it’s essential for the physicians to provide information on the side effects of the medicine to their patients who use for a long term.

We Spoke to People Hooked on Nasal Spray

"The more tolerant of an artificial stimulant like oxymetazoline we get, the more of it we need to achieve the same effect. So when you stop, your natural defences are too low to keep your nose from getting blocked up all the time, and you want the relief of the spray back," Dr Pacheco adds.

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Afrin

It's not every day that a brand can say it provides relief in seconds. But we can (and that says something).