Do you have a chronically blocked nose, or can’t you sleep without using your nasal spray? Then nasal spray is often your best friend. Without realizing it, you have become dependent on your nasal spray. But a regular nasal spray is not as innocent as it seems. And addiction is lurking with all its consequences.
A Nasal Spray is not harmless
The addiction is caused by an active ingredient in nasal spray, xylometazoline, which shrinks your nasal mucosa. Within a minute, you already feel relief and can breathe freely again. But if you don’t use the spray, the mucous membranes swell again, and after a week or two, you may be so used to the nasal spray that you feel like your nose is blocked when you don’t use it. Prolonged use can cause crusts and bleeding, and eventually, a hole may develop in the nasal septum.
How do I get rid of my nasal spray addiction?
Many people are a little ashamed that they cannot do without their nasal spray. And it is also inconvenient to always have to carry a bottle of nasal spray with you. Capsinol can help you get rid of your nasal spray addiction, but there are also solutions to do it completely on your own. Read our tips below to get rid of your nasal spray addiction.
Read the story of Gaby and how she overcame her nasal spray addiction.
Tip 1: Gradually taper off your nasal spray
You can also gradually taper off your nasal spray. In that case, you first stop using it in one nostril, and a short period later (for example, a week) you stop using it in the other nostril. Preferably lie on your side in bed, and make sure the side where your nostril doesn’t get nasal spray is on top. Maintain this daily. After about a week, you may be able to breathe freely again through the nostril that you have tapered off.
Tip 2: Difficult but stop using it!
Easier said than done: Stop using NaselSpray. Stopping Cold turkey is usually recommended by ENT doctors to get rid of the addiction as soon as possible. To keep your nose open, you can use Capsinol (see tip 5).
Tip 3: Taper off the use of nasal spray
Another option is to taper off the use of xylometazoline nasal spray. Especially for extreme users, this is a good start. Preferably follow this schedule: First, use four times a day for a week, followed by five days of three times a day, three days of two times a day, and finally, three days of one time a day only before going to bed.
Tip 4: Dilute the nasal spray
Step 1: Use your standard nasal spray with xylometazoline in it. Step 2: You also need a nasal spray bottle with saline solution (also called 0.9% sodium chloride solution) and a pipette. Step 3: First, use your standard nasal spray. The next day you fill this bottle with the saline nasal spray. Do this every day. You will therefore receive an increasingly lower concentration of xylometazoline at a time. Keep in mind that this process can take several weeks.
Tip 5: Try Capsinol Nasal Spray
Stop using your xylometazoline nasal spray and switch to Capsinol. Some start with the Mild Formula, but most people start with the Original Formula. Capsinol builds up the resistance of the nasal mucosa (this process takes about two weeks) and shrinks the mucous membranes, allowing you to breathe freely again. It also makes the nose less sensitive to external substances, reducing the likelihood of getting a cold. This effect can last up to a year.
Read our Blog: Tips to overcome xylometazoline nasal spray addiction.
Chronic Nasal Symptoms
If you have already stopped using nasal spray for a while and the symptoms persist, you are probably sensitive to substances or a specific substance in the air. This could be due to allergies or sensitive mucous membranes. In this case, most tips will not make much difference. Capsinol nasal spray offers the best results for a long-lasting and natural solution for nasal symptoms.
Have you successfully stopped your nasal spray addiction with Capsinol or any of these tips?