I’ve been using Afrin nasal spray daily for the past 6 months to treat my stuffy nose. Why do my symptoms seem to be getting worse?
Frequently, patients with nasal congestion caused by an acute upper respiratory infection or nasal allergies will treat themselves with an over-the-counter nasal decon-gestant spray such as Neo-Synephrine (phenylephrine) or Afrin (oxymetazoline). While short-term use of these medications, on the order of 3 to 5 days, is gener-ally considered safe, when patients use the sprays for longer periods of time, they frequently develop rebound nasal congestion.
This problem is referred to as rhinitis medicamentosa, which, if not treated properly, may worsen. As the rebound congestion becomes more severe, many people simply increase the amount of the decongestant nasal spray to treat their escalating symp-toms.
Occasionally, patients end up using their decon-gestant spray on an hourly basis, waking up at night multiple times in order to use the medication. At this point, patients will require regular treatment with an intranasal corticosteroid spray for several weeks and will need to have the underlying cause of their original nasal symptoms addressed. If topical nasal cortico-steroids are not effective, oral steroids may be needed for several days while the nasal tissue heals.
Rhinitis medicamentosa
Rebound nasal con-gestion brought on by extended use of topical nasal decongestants.