Treatment
The treatment of RM involves withdrawal of the offending nasal spray. Both a "cold turkey" and a "weaning" approach can be used. Cold turkey is the most effective treatment method, as it directly removes the cause of the condition, yet the time period between the discontinuation of the decongestant and the relief of symptoms may be too long for some individuals (particularly when trying to go to sleep when they are unable to breathe through their nose). The use of Over the Counter (OTC) saline nasal sprays may help open the nose without causing RM if the spray does not contain a decongestant (or preservative) . Symptoms of congestion and runny nose can often be treated with corticosteroid nasal sprays under the supervision of a physician. For very severe cases, oral steroids or nasal surgery may be necessary.
There are anecdotal reports of persons having success by withdrawing treatment from one nostril at a time.
A study has shown that the anti-infective agent benzalkonium chloride, which is frequently added to topical nasal sprays as a preservative, aggravates the condition by further increasing the rebound swelling.
Read more about this topic: Rhinitis Medicamentosa
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