I finally beat my addiction
Hello,
Long time lurker, first time poster here.
I’ve been addicted to Afrin for probably 15 years now. It started when I had a bad cold and bought some to clear my passages like anyone else, but it turned into an awful addiction I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
I used to carry a bottle with me everywhere I went, and would have light panic attacks whenever I couldn’t find a bottle or didn’t have one on me.
At my worst, I was going through a bottle a week, and would go to my local drug store to “stock up” for the month.
I started to get bad headaches, nose bleeds, and my sleep was awful as I’d be waking up several times throughout the night because I couldn’t breathe.
What caused me to stop was when I went through an entire bottle in one day.
One. Day.
I needed to break this cycle.
I looked at this sub— and did my own research separately— and made an appointment with a local ENT. They were able to prescribe me a heavy steroid that I would take daily. It started with 3 pills a day for 4 days, then 2 a day for 4 days, then 1 for 4 days.
This helped. A lot.
I then started diluting my Afrin with saline after every use until it was nothing but saline.
And now, after 15 years, I can proudly say I no longer need it to get through the day.
I wake up every morning and can breathe. I don’t have panic attacks whenever I check my pockets to make sure I have a bottle.
If you’re struggling like I was, please start the process to get better. I promise it’s worth it. Your quality of life will improve drastically once you’re off this awful drug.
Much love to everyone else who has battled this. Stay strong.