Addicted to Afrin

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mxzystplk

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My nasal passages swell to closing. I can't sleep unless I use a nasal spray. Afrin seems to work fastest. Now I have to use it about every six hours. This started over allergy season. A Flonase prescription cleaned me up once. Last time it happened Flonase didn't seem to work.I tried using Claritin-D since it did the job that time. Now it doesn't. And side effects of Claritin-D is not good for me. HELP!
 
Nasalcrom was invented to help get people off Afrin. You could try that or a saline spray instead of the Afrin. But you definitely need to get off it!
 
Unfortunately after a few days Afrin starts to cause rebound swelling that is almost always much worse than the congestion it is designed to help - and it can be tough to break the cycle because the more/longer you use the Afrin, the more Afrin you need.

It's possible to wean yourself off the Afrin but it will be much easier if you see an ENT and explain the situation. A short course of oral steroiRAB plus ongoing use of the Flonase should help you get off the Afrin.

Once you've tackled that you'll have to figure out what's causing the congestion (allergies?) and find a better way to manage it.

If you want to wean yourself off of the Afrin say the word and I can explain the process.
 
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