Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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What is the Success Rate Using Rhinostat?
It depends upon whether other underlying medical or physiologic conditions are present. These may include allergies, polyps, a deviated septum, or a history of sinus surgery or injury. Rhinostat can only alleviate the congestion associated with the addiction to nasal sprays. If other conditions are present, they should be identified and incorporated within a comprehensive treatment plan.
Rhinitis Medicamentosa (RM) patients can be divided into several groups:
The primary and largest group (Group #1) is comprised of patients whose only problem is RM. Our research indicates that this patient group represents 75% to 85% of all individuals with RM. Patients within this group are ideal candidates for the Rhinostat method. More than 95% of the time, these patients can wean themselves using the Rhinostat method on the first attempt.
For the most part, these patients have normal sinus anatomy and no other underlying conditions. Typically, they experienced a head cold with nasal congestion and simply used the decongestant nasal sprays for more than the recommended 3-5 days, after which RM developed and their need to continue using the sprays persisted after the head cold cleared. This is the single most common pattern we hear from our clients.
The second group (Group #2) consists of those patients who (in addition to RM) may also have mild to moderate allergies. Persistent discharge (mucous) is considered an indicator of the presence of either allergies or an infection. Discharge is not normally associated with RM. These patients may have started using decongestant nasal sprays (in whole or in part) to treat their allergies or chronic nasal infections.
These patients may benefit from adjunctive therapies such as steroid, antihistamine or mast cell inhibiting nasal sprays during their withdrawal cycles. Examples of these medications are Flonase, Astelin and Nasonex. Patients who have allergies and may already be using one of these nasal sprays should continue to do so as they withdraw from the decongestants. Once the other conditions are under control and not contributing to the congestion, this patient group will have results very close to the RM-only group described above.
Rhinostat has compiled a list of adjunct medications that are commonly used to treat such conditions. In many cases, physicians will prescribe or recommend an over-the-counter medication to be used along with Rhinostat. Visit Our List of Adjunct Medications Page.
Note: Many over-the-counter (OTC) medications may be contraindicated in certain patients. Always check with your health care provider to make sure that any OTC medications you are considering are safe for you to use.
Group #3 patients have structural or obstructive conditions that are inhibiting their nasal airflow. This may include a deviated septum, nasal polyps or a history of sinus surgery or injury. Success rates in this patient group are highly variable. If airflow remains obstructed even after the decongestants are withdrawn, this patient group is prone to frequent and prolonged relapses. Options for this patient group include surgical or medical intervention by their health care providers.
In some cases, Group #3 patients make substantial progress with their Rhinostat kits to the point where they are 95% to 99% weaned. They may continue to need a fractional strength decongestant solution to provide comfortable airflow on an ongoing basis. In these cases, our Rhinostat PM product may be an option. Although our primary goal is always getting the patient completely weaned, the use of a fractional 2% decongestant solution represents a 98% reduction and a significant improvement over continued use of a full-strength spray.
(Group #4) patients are those that are exhibiting symptoms of a condition known as Empty Nose Syndrome (or ENS). When measured using rhinomanometry, these patients have normal airflow values but still feel congested. Generally speaking, these patients have a history of sinus surgery or injury that has caused damage to the maxillary (v2) branch of their trigeminal nerve, which is blocking the signal that allows them to detect normal, laminar airflow. In most cases, these patients should be referred to a specialist ENT with experience in treating ENS. For more information on this condition, please visit our medical research page.
Group | Prevalence | Characteristics | Success Rates |
---|---|---|---|
Group #1 | 75 to 80% | Short term illness (head cold) led to the overuse of the decongestant sprays. No other underlying medical or physiologic conditions are present. | Better than 95% on the first attempt. |
Group #2 | 10% to 15% | Patients with allergies that are responsive to steroids, antihistamines, or mast cell inhibiting OTC sprays (Flonase, Astelin, Nasalcrom) | Once allergies are under control, success rates are similar to Group #1. All inflammation and/or discharge (mucous) should be alleviated prior to starting a withdrawal cycle. |
Group #3 | 5% | Patients with anatomical or structural obstructions such as a deviated septum, polyps or a history of sinus injury or surgery. Allergies may also be present. | Success rates are highly variable, depending upon the severity of the airflow obstruction. If they cannot be weaned 100%, fraction strength decongestants which represent a reduction of 95% – 99% can be considered (Rhinostat PM) |
Group #4 | Less than 5% | The majority of these patients may have some degree of Empty Nose Syndrome (ENS). Normal airflow can be verified using rhinomanometry, but they still feel congested. Damage to the trigmineal nerve may be blocking the signal of normal, laminar airflow. | In some cases, fractional strength decongestants (Rhinostat PM) may offer some improvement. These patients should be evaluated by a specialist ENT experienced in treating ENS. |
** Prevalence is based upon more than 12,000 patient surveys collected by Rhinostat Labs since 1999.
Do I Need A Prescription?
No. Rhinostat kits are available directly from our lab and no prescription is required.
I Have Been Addicted To Nasal Sprays For So Many Years. How Can Rhinostat Possibly Help Me?
The length of time you have been addicted is not the key factor. Decongestant nasal sprays became available over the counter in the early 1970s and cases of RM quickly developed. Rhinostat has helped individuals that had been using the sprays for 40 or more years. Because the decongestants themselves are the underlying cause of the congestion, once they are withdrawn, your rebound congestion will subside.
There are other more important factors that influence success rates. Please see our section on “What are the success rates with Rhinostat” above.
How Does Rhinostat Work?
Please visit our dedicated page entitled “How Rhinostat Works“
How do I use the Rhinostat System?
Whenever you feel the need for decongestant relief, you will be using your Rhinostat Kit instead of your usual decongestant. Your Rhinostat Kit will contain the same active ingredient found in your current decongestant spray.
Each day, you will spend approximately 2 minutes “cycling” your Rhinostat Kit. Following the directions, you will replenish the volume of solution you have consumed by adding the Rhinostat Diluent until the fluid reaches the “Full” reference line. Each time you cycle your kit, you will be reducing the strength of the decongestant solution. The targeted rate of reduction is approximately 15% per day based upon average consumption patterns.
Because the severity of the rebound congestion is proportional to the strength of the dose, you will also be reducing the rebound congestion. Each dose will eventually provide longer and longer relief. After a period of time which averages 17-42 days, you will be administering 99%+ saline only. Every day that passes represents another day of progress toward achieving your goal.
What Benefit Does Rhinostat Offer?
The primary benefit is the preservation of nasal inspiratory airflow as the decongestants are precisely and gradually withdrawn. The disruption of comfortable, normal airflow is the reason why many RM treatments fail.
Patients who may also have allergies may benefit from the use of steroid nasal sprays (such as Flonase) during the withdrawal process.
How Do Physicians Usually Treat Rhinitis Medicamentosa?
The standard treatment involves a topical steroid spray (such as Flonase) and a short course of oral prednisone. Because these medications are not vasoconstrictors, patients do not experience the fast onset of decongestant relief they have become accustomed to. Airflow measurements (using rhinomanometry) indicate that it remains severely restricted for the first few days of the therapy and that there is little, or no difference compared to “cold turkey”.
Very few RM patients can endure the congestion and discomfort. They often abandon the treatment protocol and return to their use of the sprays within 24 hours, often less. These patients may be overwhelmed by feelings of suffocation, claustrophobia and panic attacks.
Patients who have allergies in addition to RM may benefit from using products such as Flonase, Nasonex, Astelin and Nasalcrom while they simultaneously wean themselves from the decongestant spray.
Surgical options may include ablation and/or balloon sinuplasty. A small percentage of these patients may develop empty nose syndrome (ENS), further complicating the withdrawal process. Please refer to the following research article on ENS.
Is It Safe To Order From Rhinostat?
Rhinostat has been in business since 1999 and is an A+ Rated Member of the Florida Better Business Bureau. Everyone working at our lab is a former RM patient. We understand how important this is for our clients. We strive to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction and support.
All transactions are encrypted on our secure server. Our kits are discretely packaged for your medical privacy. Our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee means that if we are unable to help you achieve your goal, you may return your kit to Rhinostat for a cheerful and immediate refund.
How much does a Rhinostat Kit cost?
Why Doesn't My Doctor Already Know About Rhinostat?
Many of them do. Rhinostat has attended major medical meetings and conferences in addition to our physician outreach program. Your doctor is probably familiar with the concept of taper titration but may not be aware that Rhinostat Kits allow patients to perform this with decongestant nasal sprays.
Many physicians and health care providers learn about Rhinostat from their patients. Please encourage your health care provider to visit the Physicians Page on our website.
What if I have specific questions?
Should I let my doctor know that i want to use the Rhinostat System?
Yes. If you are already working with your physician regarding your addiction, we encourage you to discuss Rhinostat with your doctor.Our patented method and apparatus is very simple for your physician to understand. Should your doctor have any questions, please encourage him or her to contact us via our website.
If you have not consulted a physician regarding your addiction, it is important to know that Rhinostat is both effective and safe. Rhinostat Kits contain the same solutions found in your current decongestant nasal spray.
What If I Am Pregnant Or Planning On Becoming Pregnant?
Instances of rhinitis medicamentosa developing during pregnancy are common. As a result of the increase in systemic blood volume, the nasal mucosa can become enlarged, blocking comfortable airflow. If you are pregnant, or planning to be, it is imperative that you let your health care provider know. In most cases, they will be familiar with the situation and will have a protocol for you to follow.
It can be difficult to withdraw from decongestant sprays during pregnancy. Rhinostat cannot alleviate the congestion that is caused by pregnancy.
Once I Break My Addiction Using Rhinostat, Can I Become Addicted To Nasal Spray Again?
Yes. Follow up studies done on RM patients indicates long term sensitivity can develop, making it much more likely that a previously addicted person can become addicted again more easily than a person who has never before overused the decongestants. After you have overcome your addiction using Rhinostat, you should be very careful about using the sprays again in the future. They should be used only when absolutely necessary and even then, sparingly. If you do find yourself addicted again, Rhinostat will work just as well as it did the previous time.
Is Rhinostat F.D.A. approved?
Rhinostat contains these same decongestant nasal spray solutions. Decongestant nasal sprays such as Afrin have been approved as OTC (over-the-counter) products for decades. There are no other drugs, compounds or formulations in Rhinostat that are not already found in these OTC products, hence FDA approval is not required.
We encourage you to discuss our system with your physician.
What if I use more than one type of spray, with different active ingredients?
This is a common phenomenon. In most instances, a person may be using both an oxymetazoline based spray as well as a phenylephrine based spray. We have two suggested protocols for dealing with this situation:
One protocol calls for you to stabilize yourself for at least 2-3 weeks on one compound or the other. You would then order a kit formulated with that particular compound and begin the weaning process as called for in the Rhinostat directions.
Alternatively, our lab can formulate a kit for you which contains both compounds. We do offer a combination kit that contains the two most common compounds (oxymetazoline and phenylephrine). If you require a different combination kit, our lab will formulate that within one business day at no additional charge. Please Contact Us.
Can’t I Just 'Water Down' My Own Nasal Spray?
It will be difficult for you to replicate our chemistry. The pH and osmotic pressure in the Rhinostat diluent solution is closely matched to the decongestant formula, which makes the titration more precise and comfortable for the patient. The Rhinostat apparatus makes it easy for patients to achieve the targeted titration rate of 15% per day. Precise dosage titration maximizes airflow and increases the success rates using this method.
Another challenge involves the preservatives. Over-the-counter saline nasal sprays contain preservatives (typically benzylkonium chloride) which have been shown to worsen the congestion associated with Rhinitis Medicamentosa. Rhinostat’s solutions are free of these problematic preservatives, which makes the withdrawal process more comfortable for the patient.
How did I become addicted to nasal spray?
Our medical research page contains several articles describing mucosal changes at the cellular level. In summary:
- When used as a short-term therapy, decongestant nasal sprays are considered to be both safe and effective for most individuals. If they are used beyond the recommended 3-5 day period, rhinitis medicamentosa (RM) will eventually develop in nearly 100% of otherwise healthy individuals.
- RM is a chemically induced form of congestion. Your nasal mucosa are erectile tissue. When they become engorged with blood, they swell, expand and block airflow. The administration of more decongestant temporarily improves airflow. Because the decongestant itself is the source of the problem, the treatment of RM requires that it be withdrawn.
A significant percentage of RM patients do not recall the reason why they started using the decongestants.
I want to thank you so very much for developing the Rhinostat system.
I have been addicted to nasal spray for many years, and it was very scary to think I always had to have a bottle on me wherever I went. I didn’t dare run out. Now, thanks to your system, I am free, and I don’t have to worry about breathing easy throughout the night. I not only breathe better, I can actually smell scents and odors I forgot existed. Until your system, I thought there was no hope, and I was embarressed to tell anyone about my problem. I was very sneaky about it. Again, thank you so much. I not only am free from nasal spray usage, I tell others about your system and my obsolete addiction. I truly believe many others have this “secret” problem, so I will continue to spread the word. Keep up the good work