A great place to start Disorder information source Rated and Reviewed Sleep Links Entrance to all monitored Sleep Forums Search all of Sleepnet.com


Sleep Apnea
Forum Posting


Archived Apnea Forum109 viewing only. To post a new topic go to the Apnea Forum Homepage.

Nasal decongestant risks?

Posted by Charles IWS on January 25, 2003 at 16:53:39:

Sometimes when the nose is so blocked that CPAP use is difficult if not impossible, its tempting to want to use nasal decongestants like Kotrin, Afrin, Otrivin etc. But I'm told that these nasal decogestants may cause rebound congestion and addiction, amongst other things.

It occurred to me that since I'm personally able to use CPAP with only one nostril open while the other is blocked by congestion, I could use Kotrin in one nostril only. This way one nasal passage is open to enable CPAP use while the other nasal passage is blocked. But I'm hoping that only one nostril is affected by potential rebound congestion, while the other nostril is unaffected and free to recover and heal naturally.

Will this work? Any war stories about nasal decongestants? Especially about how to avoid or recover from rebound congestion and addiction and other side effects, or to avoid certain risks when using nasal decongestants. Thanks.

Follow Ups:


Archived Apnea Forum109 viewing only. To post a new topic go to the Apnea Forum Homepage

  • IMPORTANT : Information not intended as medical advice. If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder you should seek care from a qualified professional. Read Terms of Use.
  • The Sleep Forums are not to be used for commercial purposes.
  • Commercial products and services are not endorsed by Sleepnet.com.
  • Sleep Deprivation due to Sleep Apnea and insufficient sleep are common and can present as insomnia, narcolepsy, or idiopathic hypersomnia. In infants and children sleep problems commonly present themselves as ADD or ADHD.


Copyright ©1995-2005 Sleepnet.com., All rights reserved