I was prescribed a nasal spray for allergies. Can these be addictive?
I was prescribed a nasal spray for allergies. Can these be addictive?Answer: It is true that the chronic use of some nasal sprays, mainly over-the-counter decongestant nasal sprays, can result in a form of physical dependency. These sprays include Afrin (oxymetazoline), Neo-Synephrine (phenylephrine), and just about any other over-the-counter nasal spray advertised as a decongestant. Nasal decongestants can be very effective for treating nasal congestion, and are wonderful for treating the short-term effects of the common cold, for example, but they should not be used for longer than 3 days. While these medications are not “addicting” (as you might expect a person to become addicted to a narcotic medication), using them chronically will make you dependent on them to treat your nasal congestion. That is, the more you use them, the more your nasal congestion will worsen after the medication wears off. When that happens, you’ll need to use more of the spray more frequently to get relief u
