Doctor, Doctor, give me the news

A generic adult female takes action on her addiction to Afrin

During the whole month of November I had a stuffed up nose. I hate sinus problems mostly because at night when I lie down, I can’t breathe out of my nose so my mouth gets all dry and crusty and furry because I have to leave it open in order not to suffocate myself. So I did some Afrin. Man, a snort of that and the nasal passages open right up. But after a few days, my mucus membranes built up an immunity to the effects, so it took more and more snorts to get the desired relief. Finally, I realized I had a problem and decided to get myself some help, I didn’t want to wait for an intervention to be sprung on me—my loved ones gathered around me, crying, hugging, and telling me, “What’s next, Blistex? And soon you’ll be getting into the hard stuff—Vaseline Intensive Care for Dry Skin!” So I saved them all the heartache and went to the clinic on my own. Fortunately, getting off the Afrin addiction is an outpatient treatment.

So I went in to see the CNP. And they weighed me. For nasal congestion. I realize that I could have refused, but I actually was curious, since I don’t have a scale at home (I don’t want to make myself that miserable). I almost choked—the digital readout was 20 lbs over what I thought I was. WAH! No wonder curiosity killed the cat (it was actually suicide, but she was curious about her weight).  I tried to take a deep breath to calm myself down, but couldn’t because my mouth felt like I’d been eating felt. And there was no getting through my nose.

And that’s why my blood pressure was high, at least in my opinion. When I finally saw the CNP, she was more concerned about the numbers on her little bp cuff dial. She clucked her tongue at me and told me I needed to have that looked at. Well, I was here, couldn’t she check me out now? Of course not, it was my nose she was supposed to look at (she paid scant attention to it, mostly just agreeing that I had to get off the Afrin.  “It’s bad stuff,” she said). She gave me a prescription for a steroid nasal spray (I am going to have one buff shnozz) and again told me to get a checkup as she pushed me out the door of the exam room. Honestly, she could have spent an extra five minutes telling me to lose weight, exercise more and eat right. I saw the waiting room—it was completely empty! But I guess you have to stick to what you came in for and that’s it. I wonder, if I had broken my arm in a fall off the scale, would she have eyed the protruding bone, the ragged, dripping arteries and veins, purple bruises, and lacerated skin casually and said, “You really should get that looked at. I can’t do that now because you came in complaining of prolonged sinus blockage”?

And to top it off, the steroid nasal spray turns out to be a medication I already have two bottles of in my own medicine cabinet. Two of my sons have this prescription for their allergies. I didn’t realize it until I had already forked over the $25.  So not only do I NOT get my high blood pressure (which could kill me any second) checked out, I wind up paying through my stuffed up nose for meds I ALL READY HAVE.

It’s enough to give me a heart attack. But I better alert the doctor first so they can treat it.

Comments

[Melanie]

It is my understanding, that a CNP, is basically a DR. There's no reason she couldn't have done something for your blood pressure. She may still be suffering from the remnants of RN-itis

[Sarah]

I have overcome Afrin addiction many times. Once I was on it for months-- I didn't go anywhere without it and was so brazen I'd snort it up in public, at restaurants, wherever. My husband has also been addicted. Sometimes we are addicted at the same time and will have arguments over who gets "the puff" and who used the last of the puff and who is going to go to the CVS that's five whole minutes away and buy more puff.

I feel for you. I'm rooting for you. And I don't know if I should say it, but you really don't need the steroid spray-- just wean yourself off it it. You'll be back to normal in three days.

[Jenny]

The nasal steroid should work just fine. I have also heard of mixing Afrin with nasal saline spray in successively lower concentrations to wean yourself off the Afrin.
What I do to prevent the "addiction" is use the 12 hour Afrin, and I only use it at night so I can sleep. During the day I can usually tolerate the stuffiness or I use a saline spray, sudafed or an antihistamine if it's too much.
Good luck!