Get a whiff of this nightmare.<\/p>\n
A young woman struggled for years to breathe freely after becoming hooked on a popular over-the-counter nasal spray<\/a> \u2014 making it nearly impossible to quit.<\/p>\n \u201cI could not breathe without Afrin,\u201d TikTok user @scaredandsobbing<\/a> said in a viral clip<\/a> with over 4 million views. \u201cI was addicted to it for about, maybe like a decade.\u201d<\/p>\n Tiktok user @scaredandsobbing used the nasal spray Afrin for more than ten years to ease her congestion. Tiktok\/@scaredandsobbing<\/p>\n Afrin is a fast-acting decongestant that shrinks swollen blood vessels in your nose, clearing congestion within seconds and providing relief for up to 12 hours.<\/p>\n But the label warns: Don\u2019t use Afrin for more than three consecutive days.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you use a decongestant spray too much or too often, your body can become dependent on them,\u201d Dr. Mark Aronica, an allergist, told the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>.\u00a0 <\/p>\n \u201cThen, when you try to stop using the spray, your nasal passages start to swell up again, which causes your congestion to return. This can lead you to use nasal spray again in order to try to feel better,\u201d he explained. <\/p>\n Over time, this vicious cycle, called rebound congestion, can lead to chronic sinusitis and other serious long-term problems.<\/p>\n The TikToker\u2019s addiction to the nasal spray became so severe, she slept with three bottles in her bed every night.<\/p>\n Afrin is not recommended for more than three days of consecutive use. Jammer Gene \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cI would wake up maybe twice a night, maybe once a night, depending on how bad it was, and I would need to spray Afrin into my nose because I could not breathe and it felt like I was dying,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n She carried bottles with her everywhere, and would race to buy more if she ran out. Without it, she said couldn\u2019t focus in her college classes.<\/p>\n On a family trip to Morocco, she accidentally packed Afrin in her checked luggage instead of her carry-on bag. This triggered an emotional breakdown at the airport as she desperately searched for the spray. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was so bad that my dad literally went back through security to go back to the entrance of the airport because they had a pharmacy there,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shaken, she saw several ear, nose and throat specialists. They all told her the same thing: quit the spray immediately. <\/p>\n \u201cTwice I did it cold turkey, it was miserable,\u201d she said in another Tiktok<\/a>. \u201cI think it took me a week until I could finally sleep and like, start breathing.\u201d<\/p>\n Even then, she admitted to \u201csome slip-ups\u201d that made her fall back into the habit.<\/p>\n \u201cThe third time, I went to another ENT and he said at that point I damaged my nose,\u201d the woman said. \u201cI burnt a hole through my nose.\u201d<\/p>\n He prescribed her a course of steroids and urged her to quit for good.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first day was horrible, like, I could not breathe at all\u201d she said. \u201cI thought I was going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n But by the next morning, the woman found herself breathing freely for the first time in years without the spray. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was perfect,\u201d she said, adding that she hasn\u2019t touched Afrin since.<\/p>\n To avoid this nightmare, Dr. John R. Craig, an otolaryngologist, recommends starting with an over-the-counter nasal corticosteroid like Flonase if you find yourself congested. <\/p>\n \u201cWhile it is theoretically possible to develop rebound congestion with nasal corticosteroid sprays, it\u2019s much less likely,\u201d he told the American Medical Association<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are other strategies to reduce congestion that don\u2019t carry as high of a risk of dependence, doctors said. Xavier Lorenzo \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n This kind of medication also works on multiple pathways, Craig noted. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to decrease the inflammation behind the stuffy or congested tissue, and it might actually have some constriction effect on the blood vessels,\u201d he explained. <\/p>\n Experts also recommend trying oral antihistamines and decongestants \u2014 which are taken by mouth and don\u2019t all carry the same risks of a rebound. <\/p>\n Using another method to relieve your congestion, like a nasal rinse or Neti pot, can also clear up clogged airways.<\/p>\n And if you do opt for a decongestant spray like Afrin, stick to the label and don\u2019t use it for more than three days.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have prolonged congestion, it\u2019s best to speak with your healthcare professional,\u201d Aronica advised. \u201cThey can help get to the root cause and recommend the right course of treatment to get you feeling better.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t