Jean DeVries
Gold Member
- 445
....and I'm an addict.
No. Seriously. I can't figure out how I didn't know this. I read everything. I watch the Today show every day. I don't know how I missed this.
So, I've had a stuffy nose since January. It got stuffed up shortly after I moved into my new house, got worse when I was on my cruise, and has been miserable ever since. I have sleep apnea and sleep with a CPAP ( or as my friend so lovingly calls it, my Darth Vader mask...even though I don't look a think like Darth Vader when I wear it...more like Scuba Steve. But I digress....), so I have to have clear passages at night otherwise the CPAP doesn't work and I'm cranky bo-banky the next day.
So, I've been shoving Zicam up my nose at night like there's no tomorrow. I've said many times that it's a good thing you don't have to buy that behind the pharmacy counter like many allergy/sinus drugs these days, or the DEA would be at my house looking for the Zicam-fueled meth lab.
I finally got tired of sniffling (as did EVERYONE I know at this point), so today I went to the ENT. (BTW, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my ENT....he rocks!) I told him my nose had been stuffed up for three months, and he asked how I handled sleeping with my CPAP. I told him I used Zicam.
At which point he giggled and told me he knew exactly what my problem was without even looking up my nose.
I was addicted to Zicam.
Huh? Say wha?
I have never heard of this in my life. Yes, I know it says on the box not to use for more than three days, but it says that on all med boxes. I thought it was standard wording. Besides, obedience without convenience isn't my style But I had no idea it was addicting.
So my ENT went on to explain that the nasal tissues get really addicted to the stuff so they stuff up so they get more. Tricky little buggers.
So, me being the Pollyanna, everything-is-fixable person that I am, I said, "OK, cool. How do I fix it?"
"Well," he said, "You have two options. Surgery or steroids."
Huh? Say wha?
It's just nasal spray for crap sake.
Apparently not so much. These things can really mess your nose up.
There's some part in your nose that starts with a t and is a really long name. They get inflamed when you're stuffed up. Zicam (or Afrin) constrict the blood vessels and make that piece less inflamed. BTW - constricted blood vessels also leads to high blood pressure, which many frequent users also experience. You addicted nasal parts inflame that right back up so they can get more Zicam...it's a vicious cycle.
Steroids will shrink the inflammation (everyone quote your favotire line from the movie Son-In-Law here regarding steriods and shrinkage. C'mon...you know you want to...). Surgery can take that inflamed part and saw it down to 50%ish of it's original size. My doc said that if I had surgery I would probably never have a stuffy nose again. While this sounds tempting, I also have to pay for 10% of any surgery, and I've already put out enough in medical bills this year.
So, in the morning, I go on the 'roids for a couple of weeks. I hope they don't make me &itchy...I can't afford that at work.
I also hope they don't make me get the munchies. I can't afford that either (see thread about how I gained 15 pound post-surgery).
I mostly hope that my next support group won't be for 'roid rage-aholics. I can see it now...me, a bunch of WWF wrestlers, and OJ. That'll be a good time.
No. Seriously. I can't figure out how I didn't know this. I read everything. I watch the Today show every day. I don't know how I missed this.
So, I've had a stuffy nose since January. It got stuffed up shortly after I moved into my new house, got worse when I was on my cruise, and has been miserable ever since. I have sleep apnea and sleep with a CPAP ( or as my friend so lovingly calls it, my Darth Vader mask...even though I don't look a think like Darth Vader when I wear it...more like Scuba Steve. But I digress....), so I have to have clear passages at night otherwise the CPAP doesn't work and I'm cranky bo-banky the next day.
So, I've been shoving Zicam up my nose at night like there's no tomorrow. I've said many times that it's a good thing you don't have to buy that behind the pharmacy counter like many allergy/sinus drugs these days, or the DEA would be at my house looking for the Zicam-fueled meth lab.
I finally got tired of sniffling (as did EVERYONE I know at this point), so today I went to the ENT. (BTW, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my ENT....he rocks!) I told him my nose had been stuffed up for three months, and he asked how I handled sleeping with my CPAP. I told him I used Zicam.
At which point he giggled and told me he knew exactly what my problem was without even looking up my nose.
I was addicted to Zicam.
Huh? Say wha?
I have never heard of this in my life. Yes, I know it says on the box not to use for more than three days, but it says that on all med boxes. I thought it was standard wording. Besides, obedience without convenience isn't my style But I had no idea it was addicting.
So my ENT went on to explain that the nasal tissues get really addicted to the stuff so they stuff up so they get more. Tricky little buggers.
So, me being the Pollyanna, everything-is-fixable person that I am, I said, "OK, cool. How do I fix it?"
"Well," he said, "You have two options. Surgery or steroids."
Huh? Say wha?
It's just nasal spray for crap sake.
Apparently not so much. These things can really mess your nose up.
There's some part in your nose that starts with a t and is a really long name. They get inflamed when you're stuffed up. Zicam (or Afrin) constrict the blood vessels and make that piece less inflamed. BTW - constricted blood vessels also leads to high blood pressure, which many frequent users also experience. You addicted nasal parts inflame that right back up so they can get more Zicam...it's a vicious cycle.
Steroids will shrink the inflammation (everyone quote your favotire line from the movie Son-In-Law here regarding steriods and shrinkage. C'mon...you know you want to...). Surgery can take that inflamed part and saw it down to 50%ish of it's original size. My doc said that if I had surgery I would probably never have a stuffy nose again. While this sounds tempting, I also have to pay for 10% of any surgery, and I've already put out enough in medical bills this year.
So, in the morning, I go on the 'roids for a couple of weeks. I hope they don't make me &itchy...I can't afford that at work.
I also hope they don't make me get the munchies. I can't afford that either (see thread about how I gained 15 pound post-surgery).
I mostly hope that my next support group won't be for 'roid rage-aholics. I can see it now...me, a bunch of WWF wrestlers, and OJ. That'll be a good time.