So about five months ago I went to see Twilight with a bunch of girls. I really disliked the books but thought it would be entertaining to see the movie just for the kicks. Besides it's always fun having a GNO. BIG MISTAKE. I sat by a girl who was sniffing the coughing the entire movie. I was doomed from the beginning and had a hard time concentrating on the movie as I counted the number of sniffs per minute from the invalid beside me. I was immediately congested the next day and had a cold for about three months. The worst part about being pregnant is that you can't really take any medication to relieve a cold or make it go away. The only thing that worked was Nasal Spray. At first I was a good little patient and only used it the directed two days. But then my cold got worse and I went back to the spray demons and am now completely addicted. It's been since November and even though my cold has pretty much disappeared, the congestion lingers and Afrin is my new best friend. We have a rendezvous every evening before I go to sleep. I've been reading up on what I should do and this is what I found:
Nasal spray addiction: Is it real?
No. You cannot become addicted to a nasal spray. Addiction is a compulsive physiological need for and use of a habit-forming substance known to be physically, psychologically or socially harmful. Over-the-counter nasal sprays don't contain any habit-forming ingredients, and they don't cause the compulsive cravings that mark an addiction. Lies Lies Lies!!!However, it is possible to develop a tolerance to nasal sprays.
Nasal congestion occurs when blood vessels in the lining of your nose (nasal membranes) expand (dilate), such as due to a cold or allergies or pregnancy...those vessels are expanding everywhere...not just in my nose. Decongestant nasal sprays narrow (constrict) these blood vessels, reducing congestion and clearing your nasal passages.
After a few days of using a decongestant nasal spray, your nasal membranes may become tolerant — or less responsive — to the effects of the medication. As a result, you may need to use more and more of the medication to control congestion or your congestion may worsen if you stop using the medication (rebound congestion). Some people mistake this as nasal spray addiction. But it really isn't. I am not a doctor but I know addiction when I see it. I guess it's not as bad as a cocaine or heroin addict but until they can get me to sleep the whole night through with out my nightly fix, then I'll consider myself "addicted."
1 comment:
Hi Abby! I totally agree that Afrin is an addiction because I've had had it too. I know what it's like to feel like you can't breathe without it or get through the night without a snort or two. It's terrible. My advice- quit cold turkey. It's the only way to go. You'll have a couple of miserable nights but then it will be gone forever, or until the next cold... :)
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