What happens if I use Otrivine for more than 7 days?

This video looks at the pros and cons of using decongestant nasal sprays. They are great for short term problems like a cold for a few days, but they become an issue if you use them for too long. Over 7 days these sprays can lead to a form of addiction and can lead to long term issues like having a septal perforation. Learn about these sprays, how to use them and what to do if you get rhinitis medicamentosa.

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If you would like to see me on the NHS - please ask your GP to refer you to the Royal National ENT Hospital (part of UCL) in London, or at Queens hospital in Romford.

Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:14 How decongestants work
0:43 When to use decongestants
0.59 Dangers of decongestants sprays - rhinitis medicamentosa
2:06 Long-term side effects of decongestants
3:20 How to treat rhinitis medicamentosa
4:05 What can an ENT Surgeon do to help?
4:41 Conclusion

[panathasg]

Thank you Vik. Finally a comprehensive answer on why should you not use it too long and what happens

[jonog]

I literally can't breath through my nose without these.

[spunkflunk]

Man I have used these nasal sprays for 2 years strait, I can't stop 😫

[alexguest]

When I was a child of about 6 years my nose was broken in a school playground accident. The teachers just gave my sympathy and told me to carry on. Didn't even get sent home. They hadn't realised it was broken. I didn't realise it was broken until I was about 30 when I worked out that the restriction in my left nostril was matched by a bony lump in my right nostril. Because my septum had been broken, had shifted over at the base and not been set back in place when I was 6. I didn't have a problem until I was 20 when I had difficulty sleeping. Lying on my left side, my right nostril opened - bliss. Lying on my right side, my restricted left nostril would refuse to open. And I CANNOT sleep through my mouth. So I started to use Otrivine as the adverts had started playing on the TV. Instant relief from the symptoms. I used one puff up each nostril every night before bed for THIRTY TWO YEARS, WITHOUT SIDE EFFECT. The Otrivine didn't reduce in strength and I could breathe perfectly well during the day.
However, last year I started to suffer from a nasal constriction in the back of my head whilst sleeping. Just dropping off to sleep my nasal muscles would relax and the back of my nasal passage would turn into a whoopee cushion! The noise jerking me back from the point of sleep every time, like Chinese sleep torture! On seeing the doctor, they once again tried to get me to use fluticasone, which I have tried before (for weeks) and is And they inevitably put my problem down to rhinitus medicamentosa you mention "STOP TAKING THE OTRIVINE, IT CAUSES SWELLING!" they kept saying. Well, I've now stopped taking the Otrivine, and my nasal problem is back to where it was when I started taking it, 32 years ago, although the "whoopee cushion effect" does seem to have largely gone (thankfully). Now I have no choice but to manage the original problem of restricted capacity in the left nostril by just PUTTING UP WITH IT!
Yeah, thanks NHS (NOT). I need a nasal reconstruction to put the septum back to the right place, so I can once again breathe freely in BOTH nostrils, but you won't prescribe it, and keep fobbing me off with useless fluticasone. And putting the problem down to me being stupid and causing swelling in the first place with the Otrivine, which is where you still think the problem is. But that is NOT CORRECT. YOU WON'T LISTEN. Problem NOT solved by stopping using Otrivine - which I still have to use once a while when my nose just refuses to open altogether for hours on end.
VERY FRUSTRATING.

[akraen]

I can't believe something so dangerous is so easily accessible when things which don't cause harm or are of very little risk require a prescription or are banned outright.

[rhythmdubey]

thank you . was much needed . i used to spray it about twice or thrice daily and it almost became a habit . it was very hard to stop it but stopping this was worth it . all those trying to get rid of this, try this : use steam for about 5 minutes, walk or run or do any physical exercise and do pranayam ( breathing exercise ). i helps a lot

[openmind]

I used otrivine maybe 7 years straight !! .. omg i feel like I can't live without it !!

[visionofgaming]

Man this is God gifted invention my nose 👃 block I can't sleep but after purchasing the product in cough & cold it's help me a lot

[snehachakraborty]

Thanks a lot for your helpful information 👍

[suserman]

I used sudafed sprays for about 7 years and got rid of the problem by having turbinate reduction and septoplasty. Huge difference in breathing. Now I only get occasional mild congestion. So mild that I know I can take the spray one day and don't need it again for weeks or months. I deeply regret not having the surgery done sooner. My surgeon never pointed out any risk to having my septum be too oxygen deficient. After surgery my septum healed in the usual amount of time.

[alfdadlfj]

Do one nasal cavity at a time. So spray one cavity, leave the other. The untreated side will be stuffy for a few days but you’ll be able to breathe through the one you’re spraying. Do that for as long as it takes, once that side clears up, leave the other side and you’ll be fine. Within a few days the one will clear up, then go on to the next. I was addicted for years, 10+ pumps a day. Horrible.

[AudaiLouri]

Try using it for 25 years continuously. Still was able to get of it. Im on my third week now. Thank god for supply shortage that motivated me to get of it. I'm hoping in 6 months I can stop the Dymestia.

[mobilhome]

Do you have a recommendation for the most efficient nasal dilators (mechanic), both visible (for the night but more efficient), and not visible (for the day)? I used to stick the cylindric rubbers from pens into my nose at night, but it seem to cause an inflammation and decoloration inside my nose. Oh, just seen them in your other video, thanks.

[goddamnzordan]

do a video on cobblestones - chronic throat issues

[Shirley-hrtx]

Good job thanks, I won’t be using sprays

[TheSpiritOfTheTimes]

I have been using a form of nasal spray for over 15 years, daily. Mosly before bed, but there are worse periods when I use it more times per day.

[danieljs]

Can you please make a video about balloon sinuplasty that explains the pros and cons of the procedure 🙏

[sekla]

I used to use Xylometazoline drops very often for years since I was a teen. I've got addicted and it didn't unblock my nose for longer than a short while. Fortunately, I didn't develop any adhesion or perforation. I've managed to get off of it by using saline solution instead of drops to keep my nose lining from getting dry. It was super hard to stop using Xylometazoline, but it was worth it! Now, when my nose is congested, I use saline solution as drops or rinse my sinuses and do massages/exercises to drain sinuses showed by motivationaldoc :) not so convenient and spectacular as decongestant sprays, but natural and really helpful :)

[Jamrock]

Is patanase and astelin good and safe for allergy?

[HopeSleepCharity]

I'm going to repeat here what I just told you in our group Vik for your followers to GP told my daughter to use Sudafed which she did for years. When pregnant with our last grandchild another ENT consultant told me to tell her to come off it. Problem was, she couldn't breathe at all through her nose and it was a nightmare to come off it after so long. Even worse we found it was the cause of her high BP which was a mystery why she'd developed it 😲