What a strange subject you may think. Yet it is increasingly common for people to become addicted to… yes:nasal spray. This for days, months or even years. I never heard about it in my area, and I didn't even know it existed. Until this winter I myself had to deal with a severe sinus infection and snorted for an hour about six times a day for three weeks. And yes, I became addicted to nasal spray.
Nasal spray addiction may sound harmless compared to other addictions, but it's not that funny. We speak of an addiction when you have become dependent on nasal drops containing xylometazoline. The only nasal spray that works for me. Children generally use saline, but it doesn't benefit me enough for myself, so I switched to this persistent variant. The spray can be bought without a prescription at a pharmacy, drugstore or even in the supermarket and therefore contains the substance xylometazoline. When using this, the dilated blood vessels in the nasal mucosa become narrower. This will reduce the swelling and allow you to breathe more freely. Now it appears (as with many addictive substances) that the 'rebound effect' occurs with long-term use. Which means that with prolonged use of the drops, the swelling of the nasal mucosa increases. Your nose stays stuffy, and you keep spraying. Welcome to the circle.
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Now just in case I didn't know it worked that way. Though I suspect (or hope) I'm not the only one. Now I've been so cocky as to ignore the label. Because I had a sinus infection for three weeks and the seven days that you were allowed to use that thing was really not enough. Then I got stuffy, couldn't sleep and the saline didn't work. Additional steaming also didn't help me much, so I kept reaching for that bottle. In the long run I only tried to do that in the evening before going to sleep, but that keeps the mucous membranes just as addicted.
Being addicted to nasal spray in itself is not fatal, but it is certainly annoying. Especially because the complaints caused by the long use of nasal drops are the same complaints that I started using it for. Read:stuffy nose, not being able to breathe freely and stuffiness. A bad cold, which, despite the spraying, did not go away. Finally I went back to the doctor. I no longer had to blow my nose, I no longer suffered from snot bubbles, and my head no longer felt so full. Yet I continued to suffer from that stuffy nose. So then she told me that I really had to stop dripping my nose because my nasal mucosa may have been addicted. So I had to kick the habit with the associated withdrawal symptoms, because you really get that!
If I would continue for a while, the nasal mucosa would shrink after a few days and I would no longer suffer from the nasal congestion. During this time, saline may provide some relief. Well I did know. Stuffy and sniffling without snot. Now - a few weeks later - I occasionally still use saline, but otherwise I'm done with it. The next time? Take instructions literally and do not spray for more than a week. Have you ever experienced this, or do you know someone close to you who suffers from it? I am curious about your experiences. In any case, I can say with relief that I have kicked my addiction.
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