Nasal Spray Addiction

Nasal Spray Addiction Real Problem?

The very idea of nasal spray addiction may cause you to laugh, but trust me – it is no laughing matter. Anyone who has ever been addicted to nasal spray knows about the horrible symptoms that it can cause. People assume that over-the-counter nasal sprays are safe. After all, if they were dangerous, why would they be sold over the counter? They really are safe for a couple of days. People do not become addicted to nasal spray immediately. It is not like they get you high or cause you to feel euphoric. It is just that over a few weeks, you can become highly dependent on them. That is when the problem starts.

I became nasal spray addicted about a year ago. I have suffered from chronic sinus problems all my life, and used any medication available to try to treat them. I knew a little bit about nasal spray addictions, and as such I tried to limit my dosage of nasal spray. Nonetheless, I was having a particularly bad month.

Nasal Spray Addiction and Headache

My nasal spray addiction was a result of a combination of things. First of all, it was the winter. In late December, I always come down with sinus infections. I was taking nasal spray to try to prevent this from happening. I was also going on a plane, which put me at greater risk of nasal spray addiction. You see, going on airlines always makes me sick, so I am likely to take more nasal spray than usual. Between the early warning signs of a sinus infection and the plane flight, I was taking an over the counter nasal spray for several days in a row.

Once I had arrived at my destination, I figured that I would just stop. It turns out that it wasn't that easy. The nasal spray addiction had already set in. When I stopped taking the medication, I became highly congested. I could hardly breathe. It was awful. I got headaches constantly. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't concentrate, and I certainly couldn't work. I finally gave in to my nasalsprayaddiction and bought another bottle of the stuff. The problem was that, because of the nasalsprayaddiction, it did very little for me. It was only enough to slightly relieve my congestion. The nasal medication had nowhere near the fact that it would've had before the nasal spray addiction. My sinuses were so accustomed to the effects of the nasal spray that it did very little to assuage my symptoms. It took me weeks to get off the stuff.