Naftizin nose drops have been used by patients with colds for many years. The use of this drug is addictive, which is a problem. How to “get off” from Naphthyzin, people who are dependent on it often ask otolaryngologists and doctors of other speci alties. Since this topic is very relevant, it deserves consideration.
Drug summary
The active ingredient of Naphthyzinum is naphazoline. It is a chemical compound that affects alpha1- and alpha2-adrenergic receptors, which causes a vasoconstrictor effect. The vasoconstrictor effect extends when applied topically to the bloodstream of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages. At the same time, swelling is quickly removed and breathing is facilitated. The low price of Naphthyzin nasal drops is also a determining factor why many people use this particular drug. But notall of them know what long-term use of this drug entails.
Action "Naphthyzinum"
In inflammatory diseases of the nose, as in all other organs, the vessels dilate and swelling increases, which interferes with normal breathing.
The drug in the form of drops enters the mucous membrane of the cavities, where it affects alpha1- and alpha2-adrenergic receptors vessels, narrowing them. The active ingredient "Naphthyzinum" begins to work within a few minutes after its administration. The duration of the effect is on average three hours. During this time, the swelling of the tissues goes away, breathing through the nose occurs without difficulty, and the discharge of the contents separated from the nose and sinuses increases, which helps to cleanse them.
Naphazoline penetrates into the general circulation, but does not enter the central nervous system. The lacrimal glands, which communicate with the lower nasal passage, are able to absorb the active substance of the drops. Since the drug is excreted quickly, then with rhinitis you have to use it repeatedly during the day.
Indications
Indications for the use of Naphthyzinum are the following conditions:
- Acute rhinitis, characterized by swelling of the nasal mucosa, congestion of the respiratory organ, discharge from it.
- Sinusitis, which develops as a complication of rhinitis, manifested by inflammation of the sinuses (maxillary, frontal, ethmoid and sphenoid).
- Pollinosis, that is, pathology of the nasal mucosaallergic nature, aggravated during the flowering of grasses and trees.
- Eustachitis is an inflammation of the auditory tubes, which most often appears as a result of a complication of otitis media or tonsillitis. This is due to the fact that the Eustachian tube connects the nasopharynx with the tympanic cavity of the middle ear.
- Laryngitis, that is, an inflammatory process in the larynx, which is accompanied by swelling of its mucous membrane and changes in the vocal cords, up to complete subsidence of the voice.
- Allergic swelling of the larynx. The disease in many cases accompanies an allergic reaction, both to medicines and to household and natural allergens.
- Bleeding from the nasal passages. The constricting vessels under the influence of the drug will temporarily stop the outflow of blood.
- Preparing for rhinoscopy with severe swelling of the mucosa. In this case, the remedy is prescribed for the purpose of cleansing the sinuses, so that it is convenient to examine the nasal passages.
- With a local reaction of the mucous layer of the nasopharynx after surgical interventions on the upper respiratory organs.
Method of application and dosing regimen for adults and children
Adults and adolescents from 15 years of age are prescribed 1-4 drops of a 0.1% solution in each nasal passage. The tool is used no more than four times a day.
From 6 to 15 years old, children can use 2 drops of a 0.05% solution, with a three-time number of instillation procedures.
From one to six years 0.05% of the drug is used no more than three times a day, 1 drop in each nostril.
Because Naphthyzinum is addictive, it cannot be usedmore than the time limit. In adults, the course of treatment is one week, in children - three days.
Contraindications
Knowing why Naphthyzin can be used, it should be clarified which categories of patients the drug should not be prescribed:
- Babies under one year of age.
- People with a high degree of arterial hypertension and frequent hypertensive crises.
- With an increase in thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism).
- Common severe atherosclerotic vascular disease.
- In chronic atrophic rhinitis, accompanied by irreversible changes in the mucous layer of the nasal passages.
- History of allergic reactions to the active substance naphazoline.
- Diabetes mellitus, accompanied by persistent vascular changes in the periphery.
- With angle-closure glaucoma, retinal pathology, including diabetic angiopathy.
- Along with the use of MAO inhibitors and time for two weeks until they are completely removed from the blood. These include: "Iproniazid", "Nialamid", "Selegilin" and "Razagilin".
- Persons suffering from angina pectoris should use drops with great care.
- Expectant and lactating mothers should refrain from using vasoconstrictor drops. It is possible to use only in extreme cases, when the result of their use outweighs the risk to the child.
Side effects
"Naphthyzinum" in an adulta person can cause the following undesirable manifestations:
- Soreness, itching, dryness and irritation of the protective lining of the nasal passages.
- Short-term reddening of the skin of the face and nasal mucosa.
- With prolonged use, atrophic mucosal changes, persistent edema, dependence on Naphthyzinum.
- Headache, increased blood pressure.
- Tachycardia.
- Nausea, loss of appetite.
Side effects in children
In children, the side effects of Naphthyzinum, as in adults, can occur in severe forms, the likelihood of an overdose in children is greater. In this case, the child becomes lethargic, his body temperature changes, his pupils constrict, vomiting appears, the skin becomes pale cyanotic and sweaty.
If an overdose of vasoconstrictor drops is suspected or likely, you must immediately call an ambulance team. The child should be wrapped up and given water to drink.
Overdose
Getting off Naphthyzinum as soon as possible is also necessary because there is a risk of overdose, which is caused by an increase in the consumption of drops with a decrease in efficiency.
Symptoms observed when the allowable dose of the drug is increased:
- nausea turning into vomiting;
- constricted pupils;
- cardiac arrhythmias and tachycardia;
- high blood pressure;
- hyperthermia, blue skin and mucous membranes due to vasoconstriction;
- mentaloverexcitation, anxiety, fear.
With a mild overdose of drops, treatment is not required. The use of the drug should be discontinued, and the condition returns to normal within a day.
In severe poisoning with Naphthyzinum, there is a depressing effect on the brain, which can cause paralysis of the vasomotor and respiratory centers, leading to respiratory and cardiac arrest. This leads to clinical death.
In cases where the patient's nervous overexcitation from an excess of vasoconstrictor drops began to develop into a drowsiness with bradycardia, hypotension, up to a coma, it is urgent to call an ambulance, and when vital processes stop, resuscitation should be carried out to restore them.
The consequences of such poisoning can be very serious. In older people suffering from vascular pathologies, the condition may worsen, the development of myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke. Children may develop pneumonia associated with inflammatory processes in the nasal and oral cavities, a sore throat, or ingestion of vomit in the respiratory tract.
Drug addiction
People who use the drug for a long time think about how to “get off” from Naphthyzinum when the drops lead them to persistent addiction. This is due to a decrease in tolerance, when large doses of the drug must be used to achieve the effect. Such a complication occurs within a week of taking vasoconstrictors.drops.
At the same time, Naphthyzin cannot be called a drug in its pure form, since it does not cause the effects that people who are addicted to it achieve by taking a dose of any harmful substance. From vasoconstrictor drops there is no euphoria, mood improvement, they do not give strength and confidence, do not deprive of sleep. And withdrawal, characteristic of the abolition of classic drugs, does not occur when you stop using nasal drops.
Then why do drug addicts use Naphthyzin? Addicts use these drops as a solvent for their base substance. Naphazoline alone will never lead to drug addiction, but its combined use with psychoactive components can increase not only euphoria, but also side effects that affect all other organs and systems. The likelihood of an overdose of the drug in this case also increases, as does the possibility of death, since the prepared solution enhances the heroin effect. In addition, pathological changes are provoked by the introduction of this infernal mixture into the systemic circulation.
Another reason to use drops with naphazoline in the composition is their ability to return to normal the pupils of drug addicts, dilated under the influence of cocaine, marijuana, hashish and other psychoactive substances. These nuances should be known to those who work with addicted people, suspect or identify individuals who use drugs.
Meanwhile, there are no reasons for canceling Naphthyzin in such problematic patients with nasopharyngeal diseases accompanied by mucosal edema. Atstopping the instillation of nasal drops, the disease goes on as usual, and drug addiction remains only on the drug used by the person.
How to get off Naphthizin?
Given the many negative factors associated with the use of drops containing naphazoline, many patients of otolaryngologists and therapists want to switch to another drug.
How to refuse Naphthyzin if rhinitis does not go away, and the mucous membrane of the nasal passages already reacts in an undesirable way? Having initially read the instructions for use and listened to the doctor's instructions, the patient should know that these drops cannot be used for more than two weeks. If a person continues to use this drug for a longer period, then he will eventually feel that the effect is no longer the same as it was immediately. This is how addiction occurs.
Changes of atrophic and hypertrophic nature, developing in the mucous layer of the nose, leads to additional discomfort, which in a patient suffering from rhinitis, and so abound. Therefore, having weighed all the pros and cons, carefully listening to the reactions of your body, the right decision would be to abandon the Naphthyzin remedy. To do this with a long experience of instillation of this medication should be gradual, by daily alternation of the nasal cavities. If it is not possible at all not to drip the selected nostril, then you need to reduce the dosage by reducing the amount of the drug or reducing the concentration from 0.1% to 0.05% solution with further dilutionwater to minimum saturation.
What to do next? When a person completely stops instilling Naphthyzin into the nose, and signs of chronic rhinitis and swelling persist, it should be replaced with a lighter drug or folk remedies to combat chronic rhinitis. These include:
- A solution of table s alt, which you can make yourself, observing the proportion: one glass of lukewarm water (200 ml) to one teaspoon of s alt. You can use the sea. It should completely dissolve in water. This solution can be instilled in the nose, as often as required by the patient's condition. It is useful not only to inject liquid, but even to rinse the nasal passages with s alt water. An alternative to a home-made solution can be medicines based on sea s alt and artesian water, in which the proportion of substances is well observed. These are Aqua Maris, Salin, Aqualor, Otrivin More and others. Their use is safe even in pregnant women.
- The juice of the aloe plant (agave) is a very effective remedy, as it has pronounced anti-inflammatory and, therefore, vasoconstrictive properties. It is necessary to take a leaf of the plant, wash it, remove the existing thorns, squeeze the juice through gauze or garlic and drip it with a pipette into each nasal passage. The rest of the sheet can be stored in the refrigerator.
- Special outdoor exercises, including alternate breathing through different nostrils, as well as shallow and long expiration. This procedure should be carried out at least twice aday.
An alternative to the constant instillation of drops are surgical methods of dealing with the disease. With the help of medical intervention, it is possible to get rid of a number of blood vessels in the mucous membrane of the nasal passages, the expansion of which leads to severe swelling and difficulty breathing.
- Laser cautery. It is performed lying down under local anesthesia, affecting the anterior surface of the mucous layer of the nasal concha. The procedure is painless, manifested only by slight tingling sensations. After such an operation, in rare cases, olfactory disorders, inflammation or atrophic processes in the mucous membrane may occur. If such complications arise, then you should seek help from an otolaryngologist.
- Ultrasonic vasotomy. Removes dilated superficial vessels by exposure to ultrasonic waves. Most often it is performed under local anesthesia. The manipulation does not last long, and after a week the mucous membrane heals and breathing returns to normal. This procedure is usually well tolerated, the disadvantages include possible inefficiency (in a small percentage of cases) or a return of the disease.
- Radio wave coagulation. It is carried out using special equipment under local anesthesia with a solution of lidocaine or ultracaine. Electrodes are easier to operate than surgery, and breathing is restored within four days after manipulation in the nasal cavities.
- Cryodestruction method. Based on application for removal of nitrogen vessels at low temperatures withusing a special apparatus. This manipulation is short-term (up to two minutes) and effective, but damage to he althy tissues of the nose and a longer recovery are possible.
- Cauterization of blood vessels with silver nitrate is a chemical method of influencing the mucous membrane, in case of damage to blood vessels and bleeding from cavities. Cauterized with silver under local anesthesia, after manipulation, irritation and burning are possible.
- Coblation is a modern method of getting rid of chronic rhinitis, which consists in exposing the mucous layer of the plasma substance under very low temperatures, causing the destruction of dilated vessels. The procedure is characterized by low trauma and fast recovery.
- Conchotomy is a classic surgical method, which is an operative intervention using a special loop. It is carried out with the ineffectiveness of more gentle methods with a pronounced degree of mucosal hypertrophy, which is cut off with a loop in most cases under general anesthesia. The operation is performed with a gentle method using micro-instruments to ensure the fastest recovery of the patient's respiratory function and he alth. Even after such a serious manipulation, a relapse of the disease is possible.
Analogues of drops
If the above methods are not suitable for any reason, then Naphthyzin should be replaced with analogues of a longer duration. These include the German drug "Rinonorm-Teva", which contains xylometazoline, which is an alpha-agonist, likenaphazolin. This active substance is characterized by a longer vasoconstrictive effect and a low ability to dissolve in blood plasma, which gives it an advantage over the first. "Rinonorm-Teva" less often than the drug we are discussing, can cause side effects, such as: dryness and irritation of the mucous membranes, increased swelling, increased blood pressure, nausea, headache, tachycardia. However, it should be noted that there are such consequences that are not mentioned when using drops with naphazoline in the composition. Very rarely (< 1/10,000) patients may be disturbed by insomnia, increased nervous excitement, disruption of the heart rhythm. It is impossible to take drugs based on xylometazoline for a long time due to the development of tolerance to the substance, which requires an increase in the dose. Obviously, there is no analogue of Naphthyzinum without addiction.
Drops identical to naphazoline should not be taken in chronic and atrophic rhinitis, angle-closure glaucoma, children under two years of age, persons who have undergone removal of a pituitary tumor, with allergies to the active substance and taking MAO inhibitors. Hypertensive patients, people with heart problems, decreased production of thyroid hormones, diabetics with peripheral vascular changes, and those taking bromocriptine should be especially careful with this drug.
Analogues of "Rinonorm-Teva" containing xylometazoline: "Galazolin", "Dlyanos", "Otrivin", "Snoop", "Xylen", "Xylometazoline", "Asterisk NOZ", "Xymelin", "Rinomaris"”, “Xymelin IVF”, “Xymelin IVF with menthol”, “Rinorus”, “Sanorin-Xylo”,"Rinostop", "Tizin Xylo", "Rinotheiss Doctor Theiss with sea water".
Drug Interactions
"Naphthyzinum" reacts with MAO inhibitor drugs ("Iproniazid", "Nialamide", "Selegiline", "Rasagiline"), which are in the body for two weeks after the last dose.
Local anesthetics ("Novocaine", "Lidocaine", "Ultracaine", "Mepivacaine", "Trimecaine") can prolong their action on the mucous membrane as a result of vasoconstriction under the action of "Naphthyzinum".
Combination with vasoconstrictor drops from other companies and groups may lead to aggravation of side effects and rapid addiction.
Pricing policy
The price of domestically produced Naphthyzin nasal drops in the pharmacy chain varies depending on the size of the bottle, from 45 to 58 Russian rubles.
The drug is dispensed from pharmacies without a doctor's prescription, but you should remember the rules for its use and the ability to be addictive. From what "Naphthyzin" helps, the attending doctor must decide.
