I figured it was just temporary and would return. Using the medication too long or too often may worsen your symptoms or cause nasal congestion to clear up and come back. Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. 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. Chronic use can lead to “rebound” congestion, which means your symptoms could get worse or come back after completing your treatment. Suffering from severe rebound congestion from Afrin.. Was using amoxicillin to clear infection from sinusitis along with Flonase and pseudephedrine but I had to use the Flonase for only fourteen days. She used Afrin and generic versions of it, and noticed that the label advised not to use it for more than two or three days. I only use one shot of afrin in each side about 2-3 times per day, but regardless, the rebound congestion has no limits. Dont tell him about your addiction to Afrin. 4 ,5 Exceeding that regimen often leads to rhinitis medicamentosa. Once you can breathe normally with the detoxed nostril, begin the detox on the other side and then never use this crap again! I’m battling what I believe is a cold and I have severe congestion. This has never happened to me previously. Dr. Kathy Robinson answered. I couldn't breathe well at all! During this process - I got sick again with brochitis and a very bad cold. Medications worked and was fine the day after I stopped but on the sixteenth day, woke up out of sleep gasping for air and had panic attack. I will rip my nose off my face before I use Afrin again. So, to keep their airways clear they keep using the Afrin, returning to it again and again. I only use it once in the evenings (usually 24 hours between sprays). About a year ago, I got a bad headcold. What was wrong with me? Neosynephrine® is NOT recommended due to potential cardiac/heart rate effects. (Yes I do drink a lot of water) I don't think that I can get the Afrin up my nose with this congestion. 32 years experience Family Medicine. It’s not recommended to use nasal sprays for more than 3-5 days, because the prolonged use can make the nasal ducts oversensitive. Ask your doctor for a prescription of Flonase. Saline solutions absolutely do not work for me. You are now only using the afrin in one nostril. Afrin (Arabic: عفرين ‎, romanized: Ifrīn; Kurdish: Efrîn ‎) is a city in northern Syria.In the Afrin District, it is part of the Aleppo Governorate.The total population of the district as of 2005 was recorded at 172,095 people, of whom 36,562 lived in the town of Afrin itself.. I experienced a major “rebound effect”, and I’ve been using Afrin every 5 or 6 hours a day ever since- including waking up during the night to use it. One thing to remember about Afrin is that if you use it for more than 3-5 days consecutively, you can develop a "rebound" congestion if you discontinue its use. Day 3: regular use in the one nostril and try not to use any in the nostril you are detoxing. This dilutes the afrin, so you need use less and need less. The cold cured me!! "Afrin is safe and effective when used for three days," said a spokeswoman for its maker, Schering-Plough. I purchased a Rhinostat kit that was about $40 that slowly weans you off by replacing the drug with saline. “Usually stuff like that you can kind of ignore,” she said. Oxymetazoline is a topical decongestant, used in the form of oxymetazoline hydrochloride.It was developed from xylometazoline at E. Merck Darmstadt by Fruhstorfer in 1961. 1 doctor answer. I used Afrin for one day, and got congested as it wore off. That way you won't be tempted to use the Afrin. "We do not support extended use of this product." Why was it so hard to quit? I couldn’t go any longer than 15 minutes without it. "Rhinitis refers to inflammation of the tissues inside the nose, leading to redness, swelling and increased fragility 4.Rhinitis due to overuse of nasal decongestant spray is caused by repeated constriction of the nasal blood vessels. When I tried not using Afrin for a day, I almost cried. Three days in a row is the maximum time recommended for taking over-the-counter decongestant drops or sprays. 6 congestion, i.e. In the case of Afrin, use for more than 3 days has been very strongly tied to addiction. Do not use more medication or use it more often or for longer than directed because doing so may increase the risk of side effects. There are nasal sprays that are safe for daily use: OTC Vancenase or Nasacort, and prescription Flonase and Nasonex. My nose is so completely stuffed right and mouth is so dry from breathing through it. One of the best ways to wean you off nasal sprays is with a Rhinostat kit , a metered-dose delivery system that dilutes the nasal spray dose by 10% to 15% every day until your nasal turbinates return to their normal state. This may be preferable than trying to quit the medication outright, which may result in severe congestion for a number of days. It’s not good for my sinuses, and I’m spending a lot of $$ on Afrin. I started using Afrin nasal spray. I have never used Afrin for more than 3 days in a row. Afrin is a liquid that comes in a plastic bottle with a special tip. The million dollar question is why can’t you use this awesome medication for more than three days? The onset of action of Flonase is about 7 hours, but generally need at least a few days of consistent use to provide noticeable relief, especially for more severe cases of nasal congestion. I was off Afrin for good in less than 7 days. Can I use Afrin as a one time use just to open my sinuses up to be able to start the the Flonase treatment again? "We do not support extended use … Please, If Afrin is in your medicine cabinet, throw it away. At our office, we strongly advise against using decongestant nasal sprays unless absolutely necessary and cleared by a doctor. Simply put, Afrin clears congestion and allows the user to breathe easily. Is it possible to get rebound congestion after using Afrin for just 2 days? Relieve sinus pressure quickly. I tried Afrin and it worked amazingly the first 3 times I used it. To avoid rebound congestion you should never use Afrin or another medication containing oxymetazoline for more than 3 days in a row. Your ability to stop using Afrin depends on how you can handle several days of a stuffy nose and being unable to breathe normally. My nose ran for 3 days - and during this time - I took off from work. I have been fighting a cough, with very mild cold symptoms that didn’t bother me. I sprayed one nostril only until the other cleared, and then stopped. Each surgeon has preferences with regards to post-operative care, and you should touch base with yours regarding what he/she prefers. AND most importantly, you should not use Afrin more than 3 days in a row. if i use afrin once a day every other day for 3 days how long would i have to wait to use it again before it causes rebound congestion? One downside of using nasal steroids such as Flonase for the treatment of congestion is that they typically do not provide immediate relief. 1 Do use them sparingly. Since the rebound effect isn’t an addiction, you can withdraw from daily Afrin use at home safely. I also just bought sinus buster from CVS. Do this for a couple days until you are breathing freely in that nostril with no afrin. I’ve never used any nasal sprays before until this week. Don't use it for more than 3 days in a row. One week later and without the use of Afrin, I still suffer (reduced) from nasal problems which might be permanent, do to my use of Afrin. So you use more and more. Nothing. How to use Afrin Sinus (Oxymetazoline) 0.05 % Nasal Spray Use this medication in the nose as directed. With Afrin Allergy Sinus Nasal Spray you can breathe more freely in seconds – and get 12-hour relief from sinus congestion. day for 2-3 days. He said that I could use the Afrin for 5 days in a row, but the bottle says I can only use it for three days. If you don't have one already, I would get a full face mask to use when you are too congested. My doctor prescribed Afrin and Flonase to treat post-nasal drip. Once they stop using it, however, the congestion returns worse that before. › Using Afrin (oxymetazoline) for more than 3 days.   How to Use . For young children, Afrin can be diluted 50/50 with nasal saline. When you get it, use the Flonase once in the morning and once before bed. I couldn't talk right, and I felt as if some monster was sitting on my face, ruining my life. Once administered, you will notice relief as little as 30 seconds with effects lasting 4 to 12 hours. It took 5-7 days for each to clear.” Green Chile to Overcome Nose Spray Addiction: Q. I got addicted to Afrin nasal spray. Its a natural spray that has a pepper as its active ingredient. The town and district are named after the Afrin River. As you use the afrin - you add saline solution to bring the nose spray back up to same level every day. Short term only: Afrin is only meant for short term use. Addiction to oxymetazoline is also very common by inappropriate use of the drug (taking it more frequently than suggested). I took one dose last night, and one 13 hours later in the morning. One day after using it, I realized that I could not taste my food although my nose was clear. Doctor suggested using Afrin for a few days since he noticed a little nasal congestion to try to help against post nasal drip aggravating the cough. But, the trick is, continue to use Afrin as you usually do. Follow all directions on the product package, or use as directed by your doctor. Grated horseradish can be mixed with lemon juice in a jar, sealed for one whole day, and served in one tablespoon four times a day prior to eating. The congestion returns with a vengeance and it comes back worse than before. Does anyone know if it could be harmful for me to use it as he prescribed it, or should I stop at three days? Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 3 days of treatment. I decided that I really need to kick the habit. In many cases, the spray will also stop working for the 12-hour period that it once guaranteed, making the person seeking relief spray multiple times throughout a typical day. addiction to the ingredients making it worse. Now, two days later, as I was just cleaning some old moldy food out of the refridgerator, I realized that I didn't smell a thing. Directions for use of nasal decongestant sprays vary somewhat, but the label of oxymetazoline 0.05% spray (Afrin) advises patients aged > 6 years to spray the product two to three times in each nostril not more often than every 10 to 12 hours, and not to exceed two applications in any 24-hour period. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Tell him you used it in the past and it works well for you. As others have mentioned here, one nostril free breathing is tolerable. Prolonged use of Afrin beyond the recommended 3 days can also lead to rhinitis, warns the 2009 text "Rhinology and Facial Plastic Surgery. I'm feeling better and will never use that product again. If you need something frequently then you need to try other medications like nasal steroids and nasal saline. 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