{"id":32855,"date":"2025-04-19T11:50:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-19T11:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/32855\/"},"modified":"2025-04-19T11:50:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-19T11:50:11","slug":"the-over-the-counter-drug-addiction-thats-taking-over-peoples-lives-experts-warn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/32855\/","title":{"rendered":"The over-the-counter drug addiction that’s taking over people’s lives, experts warn"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medics have warned of rising numbers of people becoming hooked on nasal\u00a0decongestant sprays, which sometimes results in disturbing facial disfigurements.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The sprays, available for less than \u00a34 at high-street chemists and supermarkets, are a go-to remedy for relieving a blocked nose.<\/p>\n

But using them for longer than a week at a time can irritate sensitive blood vessels in the nose, causing swelling.<\/p>\n

This makes congestion worse, resulting in a vicious cycle that leaves patients even more reliant on the medication to help them breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some patients are forced to have surgery to address damage caused by chronic swelling, which can lead to unsightly scarring.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, those affected by the problem are calling for the medications, such as Sudafed, to be made available by prescription-only so GPs can limit the supply.<\/p>\n

Professor Claire Hopkins, an ear nose and throat (ENT) surgeon and rhinologist and sinus specialist at OneWelbeck in London, said this is an issue she is seeing regularly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘It\u2019s probably becoming more common, as people\u2019s access to healthcare is becoming more restricted,’ she told ITV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Patients <\/p>\n

Patients are becoming increasingly addicted to nasal decongestant sprays with some left with noses that look like lifelong cocaine users, medics have warned. Pictured\u00a0Curtis Arnold-Harmer one of those whose life has been changed by the over-the-counter medication\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘We know it\u2019s very difficult for patients to be seen in primary care, or ear nose and throat clinics.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘So I think they\u2019re more likely to turn to over-the-counter remedies.’<\/p>\n

One patient trapped in a cycle of what he calls ‘addiction’ is\u00a0Curtis Arnold-Harmer from Hastings.<\/p>\n

He recently told ITV that at the height of his 18 months dependency on Sudafed he was using the spray every hour of the day.<\/p>\n

‘If I didn’t take the spray I couldn’t breathe. It was as simple as that,’ he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a TikTok <\/a>clip which has been viewed nearly 2 million times, Mr\u00a0Arnold-Harmer added that when medics examined his nose, the damage was so severe they assumed he had a cocaine addiction.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the end he had to have an operation called a\u00a0turbinate reduction, a procedure that reduces the size of internal structures in the nose called turbinates.<\/p>\n

These structures had become inflamed and enlarged by using the decongestant sprays causing his ongoing blocked nose.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While the surgery has provided relief Mr Arnold-Harmer will have to have it every five to 10 years for the rest of his life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Sudafed <\/p>\n

Sudafed sprays for blocked noses cost around \u00a34. But experts have warned of the dangers when using them for longer than advised<\/p>\n

Mr Arnold-Harmer said he has been shocked by the numbers of social media users detailing similar situations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘I was ready for a few comments [on my video] calling me an idiot and saying, “you should have read the box”.<\/p>\n

‘What I wasn\u2019t ready for was tens of thousands of comments in the same situation as me.’<\/p>\n

One wrote:\u00a0I’m addicted to the Sudafed nasal spray, how do I stop this? I use it every morning, afternoon and night.’<\/p>\n

Another added: ‘Exactly the same happened to me. I got pregnancy rhinitis and got addicted to Sudafed for two years!’<\/p>\n

And another wrote: ‘It\u2019s not just when I wake up anymore it\u2019s every single day every hour…I\u2019ve been doing this for six years.’\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hannah Brumpton, from Lincoln, is another patient to have needed surgery after developing a dependency on decongestant sprays.<\/p>\n

She said it led to an almost\u00a0unbearable level of discomfort.<\/p>\n

‘It would feel so heavy within my face – not just my nose, but all underneath my eyes. They would feel all puffed up,’ she said.<\/p>\n

‘The only way I could describe it is I either wanted to punch myself in the face, or pull my nose off my face.’<\/p>\n

Georgia Hardacre, from\u00a0Fleetwood, Lancashire is another patient to detail her dependency on decongestant sprays, which she has been using for decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘It\u2019s horrible,’ she said.<\/p>\n

‘You just feel like you\u2019re suffocated. I get really bad headaches if I don\u2019t unblock myself.’<\/p>\n

Mr Arnold-Harmer has launched a petition <\/a>calling for MPs to take action and introduce restrictions on the sale of the medicine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Prof Hopkins said the risk of severe damage\u00a0\u2014 requiring surgery\u00a0\u2014 from using the sprays for long periods was low.<\/p>\n

Most patients are capable of weaning themselves off the drug and suffer no long-term nasal damage, she said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Medics have also\u00a0provided some tips<\/a> for how to reduce the use of such products.<\/p>\n

As nasal decongestant sprays are not a prescription medication the number of people taking them regularly\u00a0\u2014 and therefore at risk of\u00a0rebound congestion\u00a0\u2014 is unknown.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"All <\/p>\n

All codeine linctus products \u2013 which were available over-the-counter for as little as \u00a33 \u2013 are now prescription-only. Drug watchdogs are concerned about rising cases of serious, and sometimes fatal, side effects.\u00a0The MHRA said the move would only affect five products: Codeine Linctus BP, Bell’s healthcare codeine linctus, Care codeine, Galcodine Linctus, Pulmo Bailly<\/p>\n

Rebound congestion,\u00a0known medically as rhinitis medicamentosa,\u00a0is only caused by excessive\u00a0use of decongestant nasal sprays containing oxymetazline and xylometazoline, rather than saline or steroid sprays.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Kenvue,\u00a0the manufacturer of Sudafed, said: ‘Safety is our top priority, and we take reports of off-label use of our products very seriously.<\/p>\n

‘SUDAFED\u00ae Blocked Nose Spray (xylometazoline hydrochloride) is intended for short-term use only and should not be used continuously for more than seven days, as the product\u2019s packaging and patient information leaflet explain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘To use over-the-counter medicines safely and correctly, follow the instructions on the label and speak to your GP or pharmacist if you need advice.’<\/p>\n

PAGB, the consumer healthcare association representing the manufacturers of branded over-the-counter medicines in the UK added: ‘As an over-the-counter medicine, nasal decongestants are indicated for short-term relief of symptoms and the products state on the packaging and patient information leaflet that they should not be used continuously for more than seven days.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘As such, the medicines should only be taken as needed and not for longer than instructed on the product\u2019s packaging and in the patient information leaflet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘The patient information leaflet, which accompanies all nasal decongestant sprays, outlines the risks of taking the medication for longer than it’s indicated use.’<\/p>\n

Some over-the-counter medications have already been made prescription only over fears they may be harming the public.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last year, cough-syrups containing codeine were made prescription only<\/a>\u00a0over fears people were getting addicted to the powerful opioid ingredient.<\/p>\n

There have also been calls to make other forms of\u00a0codeine, like tablets, prescription only.<\/p>\n

However, the very lowest strength versions of the drug \u2014 which are combined with painkillers like\u00a0paracetamol,\u00a0aspirin or\u00a0ibuprofen\u00a0\u2014 are still available to buy over the counter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Experts have warned even these lower doses can produce a euphoric effect, meaning they still carry a risk of abuse.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some 25 counties, including\u00a0Germany, Japan and the US, have already banned over-the-counter codeine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One product British regulators removed from shelves in 2023 was cold and flu remedies containing\u00a0pholcodine after they were found to raise the risk of life-threatening anaphylaxis among patients put under general anaesthetic.<\/p>\n