"Why Are Decongestants No Longer Recommended by Doctors?"

Who knew I would end up in the emergency room, wondering if I had a stroke or not?

For the past eight months, starting in May of last year, I have relied on a nasal spray to provide relief during those frustrating moments when my nasal passages decided to take a break from their usual functioning. The sensation of panic that washes over me whenever my nose becomes congested is overwhelming, making it difficult to focus on anything else. The nasal spray quickly became my trusted companion during these episodes, offering me a sense of relief and the ability to breathe more comfortably through my nose.

While I did not use the nasal spray continuously throughout the entire eight-month period, it became an essential part of my daily routine whenever nasal congestion struck. The convenience of having this solution readily available to help alleviate my discomfort was a source of great comfort to me. Whether it was due to allergies, a cold, or other factors, knowing that I had a reliable method to clear my nasal passages quickly was a reassurance that I greatly appreciated.

During the last few months, during the cold season, I increased the nasal spray, ignored the recommended doses, and just used when and how much I needed—every day got worse. Nose bleeds started, and there was less time between needing it. I was doing more damage than good.

Then my heart rate would sore for no reason and randomly. It caused me to be dizzy and start sweating, and while sitting, my heart rate would shoot up. At times, I found it hard to get it back below 100. After a few episodes of heart palpitations, it was time to make the doctor's appointment.

As soon as I started discussing the situation with my heart heart and palpitations, I jumped into the conversation about nose spray. I explained that I would panic when my nose became plugged up and asked if it could be why my heart rate was messed up. Well, he did not continue the conversation as I had a 'Holy Crap" moment right then. As he looked up the spray I had been using and the adverse effects, I already knew.

Of course, I knew! I had been ignoring that overusing this spray was worsening my breathing efforts. I chose to keep using it because the inability to breathe through my nose was my worst option; at least, it was in my mind.

The last thing the doctor said, after ordering a heart monitor to make sure that it wasn't something, was, 'No more decongestants of any kind.'

A week is almost up, and I am days without spraying it up my nose. I can breathe through my nose, I feel better, and I am starting to feel more in control.

Now that addiction to breathing, I mean nasty nasal spray, is behind me, I guess it is time to evaluate my other habits or abuses that may be screwing up my life.

It is a process.

Update: I am no longer dependent on decongestions and feel great.