Afrin

badbart

badbart

Registered User
I've found that Afrin works great for my sinuses but I can only use Afrin for 3 days. Does anyone know how long of a break do you need to take until I can use Afrin again for another 3 days? I'd love to cycle Afrin because it seems to work better than any other sinus drug.
 
Most pharmacists will say to stay off of Afrin for at least 7 days before restarting it. Keep in mind that if you use oral decongestants, those too can lead to rebound congestion. Most people use Afrin for 3 days, then saline for another week, and alternate if they need to!
 
Watch out for that afrin. My dumb ass is addicted to it. I can't breath without it. I have used it many times a day since I was 22.
 
I have that problem. I have been using a phenylephrine hydrochloride (called 4 way) spray for the last 3 months. It's pissing me off now since I choke without it. I should really see a doc....
 
Be very careful. I used it for about 3 months and got addicted. Then it became ineffective for me and my nose totally sealed up, I really thought I was going to die in my sleep. I went to the doctor and he prescribed me 4 different scripts, it took about 3 days before I could breathe right again. He said that if you use it for more than 7 days your nose will actually start forming more tissue causing more blockage. Since I have been off of it I havent had any problems. I will never use it again.
 
It's still effective to use and I don't have to use it as much now, but it seems night time is the worst. I wake up suffocating. I am just too lazy to see a doc when this still works, lol. I will go soon though as it is a waste of money if they can fix my stuffyness.
 
big poppa said:
Be very careful. I used it for about 3 months and got addicted. Then it became ineffective for me and my nose totally sealed up, I really thought I was going to die in my sleep. I went to the doctor and he prescribed me 4 different scripts, it took about 3 days before I could breathe right again. He said that if you use it for more than 7 days your nose will actually start forming more tissue causing more blockage. Since I have been off of it I havent had any problems. I will never use it again.
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I'm also an admitted afrin addict. I have 100% clarity all day long and my sinuses literally close off the second I hit the pillow. Luckily, I still have a 100% success rate with continued afrin use at night.

I once tried to break the afrin habit and ended up not sleeping for 12 days straight. I've been through about 5 different presciption "stacks" with zero luck as well.

Out of curiosity, what was the combination that helped you kick the habit? I might want to relay the strategy to my doc.
 
Afrin is some bad stuff. My friend has a coworker that is way addicted to it. He walks around all day with a bottle in his hand sniffing it about 3 times or so an hour. I used it excessively when I got the flu/fever when I was younger and couldn't stop using it for a week or two. Then when I stopped it was hell to get off it. i couldn't breathe without it.

I think what it does is it inhibits your sinuses ability to produce the mucus that keeps your nasal passages clear. so with excessive use it shuts them down and they stop producing the mucus completely. Kinda like if you took some type of roid with no PCT it shuts down your test production and has a very hard time bouncing back.
 
The thing I think that worked the most was methylprednisolone, reading up on it, it is a major anti inflamatory. My nights were also the only time it would hit me bad, but so much so, that my girlfriend would have to shake me awake because it sounded like I was suffocating. The other scripts were an antibiotic (just in case of infection), allegra D, and some sort of cortizone nose spray to make the methylprednisolone stay active longer in my system. Its funny though, since I've kicked I havent had to take anything and I breathe fine. It almost like I became allergic to the Afrin...
 
My buddies who are PA's said it's called hyper-allergemia, or otherwise known as an allergic rebound effect. The afrin constricts the blood vessels in the sinuses to such an aggressive extent that they rebound and dilate aggressively in return. This rebound dilation is what causes the congestion rebound effect, which is usually worse than the initial congestion symptoms in the first place.
 
Thanks for the warnings, I haven't used Afrin since I started this thread. The saline is working great for me.
 
I use it when I get a cold, but only one pump once a day ( at night ) for 3 days max. If I dont use it I get a sinus infection because my nose does not drain right.

For me the rebound congestion only lasts a couple hours, then its back to normal cold stuffiness.

Ive never used it for long periods of time because I heard how addicting it is.
 
i had to get off of it when i was in my 20s. I used it when i got a cold and kept using it. My nasal passages would never stay open and the doctor told me it will make you use more as it reverses the effect making you have to use it to keep your nasal cavity open. be carefull. i had to take 4 different scripts to get me nose right again
 
celc5 said:
I'm also an admitted afrin addict. I have 100% clarity all day long and my sinuses literally close off the second I hit the pillow. Luckily, I still have a 100% success rate with continued afrin use at night.
my experience exactly...

i couldn't sleep w/o it for 4 months straight. i finally went to the doctor, and am taking flonase now. it seems to help, but i still breathe through my mouth at night, now and again.

i'm gonna have surgery to expand the airway in my nose next month.
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tunnelrat said:
am taking flonase now
i'm gonna have surgery to expand the airway in my nose next month.
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flonase did NOTHING for me. Have you tried the route as described by big poppa?

I'm curious as to why surgery would be the solution if you are breathing normally throughout the day.
 
I'm hooked on Afrin too, and have been for several years. I've tried those steroid sprays but they didn't work. I tried kicking the habit on my own but what happened was the sinuses constantly clogged created other problems like inner ear infections. Inner ear infections can cause Vertigo and you don't know suffering until you've dealt with that. Afrin use is the lesser of 2 evils as far as I'm concerned. Surgery is most likely the only option but I'll never try to kick the habit on my own and deal with chronic stuffiness which can lead to Vertigo ever again.
 
'Everbody Loves Raymond' actually made fun of the claim that people get 'addicted' to nasal sprays. I don't know if any of you saw that episode, but it was pretty funny. I love Afrin, but it usually helps me after 2-3 days of using it. I use it every 10-12 hours, so only about 4-5 times within 3 days. It helps a great deal. I usually don't need it for any longer than that.
 
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