The Medical Consumer's Advocate

Addiction to decongestant sprays

 

A woman writes that her husband has been addicted to nasal decongestant sprays for many years. Is there any help for such a problem?

The medical term for this condition is rhinitis medicamentosa, which translates as nasal inflammation (rhinitis) due to medication (medicamentosa.) It is almost exclusively due to abuse of over the counter decongestant sprays.

These sprays are potentially very harmful. Your husband needs to have his blood pressure checked regularly, as these sprays can cause or worsen high blood pressure. He also needs to realize that his nasal obstruction is a rebound effect from the spray. He is "treating" nothing; he is only perpetuating his addiction.

This is a very difficult problem to correct. As with any addiction, the patient must want to quit. If the patient is properly motivated, he or she can be gradually (or suddenly) weaned from the spray, using nasal steroid sprays and oral decongestants to offset the horrible congestion that results from withdrawal. An ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT) would be the best trained individual to supervise this transition.

If your husband’s nasal obstruction is partly due to bad anatomy (a deviated septum, for example), surgery could help improve his airway. A thorough examination of his nose (often requiring the use of a fiberoptic camera, or endoscope) is necessary to determine what operation, if any, may be appropriate. Once again, an ENT would be the most appropriate doctor to perform such an examination.

 

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