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I have been hooked on Afrin for about 3 weeks and I know I needed to stop. The stuff is amazing, but should be banned because you use more and more until you are carrying around a bottle. My nose is currently locked shut, but I am going to have to ride this out. I was using so much and with the dry air, my nose had tons of dried blood in it. Anyone else hooked or have been hooked on this stuff? You can laugh, but it is as addicting as any other drug.
You poor thing. I was addicted to Neo-Synephrine for many years. I had to have it with me at all times. That was before it was known that drops were addictive.
Something that will help you get through this is a bottle of saline spray. I keep that in my nightstand drawer and it helps a lot when I am having trouble breathing. There are no negative side effects, and in fact, it's good for you. You can get them at the drugstore - saline sprays are right next to the evil decongestant nasal sprays.
I have been hooked on Afrin for about 3 weeks and I know I needed to stop. The stuff is amazing, but should be banned because you use more and more until you are carrying around a bottle. My nose is currently locked shut, but I am going to have to ride this out. I was using so much and with the dry air, my nose had tons of dried blood in it. Anyone else hooked or have been hooked on this stuff? You can laugh, but it is as addicting as any other drug.
I was hooked on Neo-Synephrine for a couple of years in the 70's.
When I decided to get off of it..........I went from 1% down to 1/4%, if I remember correctly, it came in strenghts back then.
When I got to the lowest strength, I would pry the cap off and add water to dilute it even further, until I was using just water, then I stopped completely.
Please, don't say the word "ban", people with colds shouldn't have to suffer because some people get hooked. As a matter of fact, I use the moisturinzing Afrin when I have a cold now, I just make sure I don't over do it.
My advice, pry the cap off {can't remember now if you can do this with the Afrin bottle} ..... if the cap doesn't come off, cut it off ......buy a nasal saline spray and pry the cap off of that and mix the two.
Just keep watering down the Afrin. I would also by a warm mist humidifier and keep it nearby........it will make it easier to deal with your dry nose until you are completely healed. That humidifier will come in handy when you just have a cold too, they make it easier to breath when you have a stuffy nose.
The warm mist humidifiers also have a place to add medication to the steam when you have a cold.
I have been hooked on Afrin for about 3 weeks and I know I needed to stop. The stuff is amazing, but should be banned because you use more and more until you are carrying around a bottle. My nose is currently locked shut, but I am going to have to ride this out. I was using so much and with the dry air, my nose had tons of dried blood in it. Anyone else hooked or have been hooked on this stuff? You can laugh, but it is as addicting as any other drug.
I have news for you. I've used the stuff DAILY for more than 15 years, and I'm not addicted to it yet.
LOL
good for you taking the first step. It's not easy....
My ENT told me not to use it more than a day or so b/c you can get re-bound stuffiness. You can make your own saline spray quite cheaply and use a baby syringe to squirt it up your nose. Ahhh, warm saline is wonderful when you have a stopped up nose!
I have used it off and on for years. I never realized it was addictive because no matter how long I used it, I never had a problem when I just stopped. I had a doctor tell me years ago, not to use it more than 5 days in a row so I won't use it any longer than that without a break and only use it when I have to, when the stuffiness is the worst.
What I do use often is Vicks Vapor Rub when I am having a problem. I use a Q-tip and rub a little around in my nose.. Works like a charm for me.
Laugh? That stuff is more addictive than smoking, drinking, or any narcotic I've tried. I used it for a day and it took 3 days for the unbearable stuffiness to subside. Won't touch it again!
Bad news...I hit the Afrin once yesterday and once today. I couldn't take it anymore. I did wait both time until it was at it's worst. Once per day is a lot less than the 6-10 times I was doing it per day.
This is going to be a trial and error process.
Last edited by kentuckydad95; 12-06-2010 at 05:34 PM..
Did you try the Saline Spray instead???? Do yourself a favor and try it.
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That humidifier will come in handy when you just have a cold too, they make it easier to breath when you have a stuffy nose. 
