Can nasal sprays be addictive?
It’s pretty scary to think that you’re addicted to any drug, especially one available at any grocery store! Oprah Winfrey even devoted an entire show to people who can’t live without their decongestant spray. But, fortunately, it’s safe to say that you are not really addicted to it. Doctors and scientists define addiction in different ways. Scientists call drugs addictive if they stimulate the pleasure center in your brain . Psychiatrists, on the other hand, say something is addictive if your need for it makes you do illegal, harmful things to get it. Nasal sprays don’t do either of these things. They have no effect on the brain. And while you may “need” your medicine to breathe freely, you probably aren’t going to hold up a bank or skip work to go buy some. Nasal sprays or drops are sold over-the-counter under brand names like Afrin, Sinex, Neo-Synephrine, Allerest, Duramist, and Sinarest. They contain a medicine that constricts the blood vessels inside your nose. When you have a cold
