Sudafed: am I addicted? what are the long-term effects of u Posted: 10-13-06 18:37pm
Hello,
I dont know who to ask. During a bad flu
at the age of 14 years old, i have become
badly addicted to nasal decongestant
untill now, so 14 years. i use the
equivalent of about 1 ''sudafed'' a week
minimum, day & night. What doesnt help is
that living in cold London, and working in
a stressful environment, i get the flu
very easily, which pushes me to need nasal
decongestant tho im trying to stop that
weird addiction. If i dont use any, i get
bad headaches, a complete blocked nose, to
the point where i feel im ''drowning'',
dry mouth and i become very agitated and
moody. Some pharmacists said i should be
injected with Cortisone, others treated
with allergy pills, except the injection,
i tried many things, even Ocean water
which only burn the c*ap out of me, but
the results are few hours at best. My
question is : Should i worry? i mean, it
isnt a drug that changes my personality,
how bad can it get? what are the long term
damages if any? and does it have an effect
on my heart. Please be kind to let me know
if you have time. Thank you. Gin
Sudafed contain pseudoephedrine
hydrochloride. Pseudoephedrine
hydrochloride is a local blood vessel
constrictor (decongestive) used for
temporary relief of a stuffy nose and
sinuses that often procedes a cold, sinus
inflammation, or allergies such as hay
fever.
According to your symptoms (chronic
blocked nose), it seems to me that you may
be experiencing chronic inflammation of
the nose (rhinitis), sinuses (sinusitis),
and upper pharynx (naso-pharyngitis).
Reasons for chronic inflammation can
include: an allergy, chronic infection,
chronic irritation, or any combination
among them. Chronic inflammation can cause
formation of nasal polyps.
Local decongestives, like Sudafed, do not
treat the condition but only temporarily
relieve nasal stiffness (congestion).
They should be not used for more than 7
days. Local decongestives are very
effective in cases of acute inflammation
and help to overcome the condition more
easily. In cases of chronic inflammation,
local decongestives are not as useful. In
time, their effect becomes weaker and if
used longer than 7 days they can cause
mucosal atrophy. There is also a so called
“rebound effect” to consider in your
case. When the body comes off a medicine,
the symptoms of a disease can become even
more severe than before use of the
medicine. This can looks like addiction
but it is not classified as a addiction
like opiate addiction, for instance.
Substance addictions are attributed to the
drug itself while in cases like yours, the
real problem is caused by another
pre-existing disease (chronic
inflammation). Finding and avoiding the
provoker of the chronic inflammation is
the treatment you can focus on. In most
cases, the reason for inflammation like
yours is unknown. Local corticosteroids
are very useful in treating chronic
allergic nasal inflammations.
Antihistamines are also useful. If there
is an infection, antibiotics are
necessary. In case of existing nasal
polyps, surgery is requested.
You can visit an ENT-specialist for proper
examination and treatment.
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