Are Your Sinus Medications for Meniere's Disease Helping You or Hurting You?

Drug Rebound; Recognizing That Too Much Of A Good Thing Might Not Continue To Be Good.

(This information is intended to help you understand how your body works. It is not meant to diagnose or treat your Meniere's disease symptoms in any way. The more helpful information you have, the better decisions you can eventually make.)

When you read on our website that Meniere’s is not a disease, isn’t your mind shocked into thinking “so what is it”? try to see Meniere’s only as symptoms related to balance and hearing. It makes it easier to understand what I am trying to help you see. Your symptoms of balance and hearing only come when the nerves are “activated” (stimulated). So right away, you can see that something has to stimulate one or both nerves. This helps you to understand that there now is a CAUSE. Know that EVERYTHING in nature has a CAUSE. NOTHING happens without one.

I won’t go into the classic Meniere’s disease symptoms, you can read them on our website.  If you have visited our website and requested more information, you will undoubtedly have received our “observations” on Meniere's disease. This is a list of ideas that others have told us to have caused their symptoms. It’s quite a lengthy set of possible causes. But the point I want to make is that they are all causes for someone! No one has all of them. Nothing ever happens in nature without a cause. And we have learned that sinus problems are a major cause for many, many people both with and without Meniere's disease.

It’s normal for people to treat sinus problems with all sorts of remedies: drugs, sprays, and other treatments, including saline (salt) washes. The point is that you want to get rid of the symptoms. If you choose to use sprays or drugs, you should be aware of a “dark side” to this treatment and it is the results of something you do with the best of intentions. The dark side is a term called “rebound”.

The term "rebound" has several meanings, but it always seems to be “allergy time” and I want to bring something to your attention. Did you know that taking a dose of your nasal decongestant is very helpful, but taking more than the PRESCRIBED dosage could be counter-productive? Yes, that's true. And few people understand this. We all assume it's good to do something that clears up our sinuses...So a bit more wouldn't be harmful, and maybe also beneficial.

We also believe that over the counter medications aren't really medications. So you rationalize that there is no harm in taking them...and as they are harmless, but work well, taking more isn't a problem...Right? Wrong! Taking more could do one or two things: make the situation worse or make the whole effort useless. At this point I am speaking mainly about nasal decongestants and allergy products. These are products to help you breathe better when your nose and eyes are irritated and you just can't stand it any longer. So you reach for the sprays or the tablets.

In essence "rebound" means taking MORE of a good thing and thinking it will be even better and more helpful. But there are other meanings to "rebound". I’ll briefly mention a few here, but know others also exist.

You could be "rebounding" from or recovering from an illness. It could also mean the sudden retraction of a muscle after it has been in a certain position for a while. It's what happens when you cut elastic after it's been stretched. It "pops" back into close to its original position. Another rebound definition could be happening with your abdomen. If you have ever had appendicitis, you will recall the "tapping" the doctor did on your extremely sensitive abdomen and you really wanted them to stop! The doctor puts pressure on the abdomen and the release of this pressure causes pain. This is a form of unwanted (involuntary) rigidity and is diagnosed as "rebound tenderness". This is a diagnostic test and tells the doctor that this requires immediate medical attention.

Another definition of rebound is what can happen when you are taking too many headache remedies too often or overusing one. According to the National Headache Foundation, the only way to stop this is to stop the medication, but don't do this without your doctor's knowledge. Other corrective measures might be needed to help overcome this result. Headaches may "rebound" as the last dose wears off, leading one to take more and more pills. Please consult your pharmacist or doctor. You will have to initiate the conversation. Few medical people think of this possible cause.

Are you aware that caffeine can also cause physical dependence when it is used for a long time? This may lead to those withdrawal (rebound) headaches when you stop taking it. But one of the big challenges is that often your doctor doesn't KNOW what meds OR OTHER things you are taking. (Many of my patients see several doctors who all prescribe different drugs. Chemicals interact.)

These headache remedies may contain caffeine. Now think this through. You may already be getting a dose of caffeine in your cappuccino. Research hasn't proved or disproved that caffeine-containing headache brands may be more likely to trigger rebound headaches, but just keep it in mind. And as I preach a lot.: think before you switch to the decaffeinated products. Remember that pure chemicals create the actual decaffeination process. And they in their turn may cause you more problems. Maybe you just need to cut back and watch for negative signs, such as hyperactivity and jittery feelings.

Some drugs also cause indirect rebound headaches. For instance, codeine is a narcotic analgesic. It's a painkiller and acts on your central nervous system. This means your whole body is numbed to any painful effects. And when you take some pain killers for a long time, your body may get used to them. Then larger amounts are needed to produce the same effects. This result is called "becoming tolerant".

When you decide to stop this cycle you may have already become "dependent" and your body will go through a withdrawal process: cleaning out the residual effects. One of the first signs you will have most likely, will be (rebound) headaches. Personally I often wonder if some of this activity isn’t the cause for what people call “panic attacks or anxiety episodes”: not just for pain killers, but for all sorts of other meds.

Now we come to nasal congestion. This has to do with your sinus tissue. Many people use headache medication and need to understand this rebound process. Many, many more don't know that something as seemingly innocent as a nasal decongestant could be causing exactly the same response: "rebound".

Why would you use a decongestant in the first place? What is congestion? Something enters your head through your nose (or your mouth) and your body recognizes it as an unwanted visitor. This could be unpleasant smells, or allergens, such as dust or mites…any intruder.

Your body tries to protect you. It uses your four sinus sets as filters. They react by increasing the fluids in an attempt to wash away the toxins. This additional fluid causes you to feel "congested" (full).

You feel stuffy and your eyes might be watering. Your nose might be running. It's an unsightly and unbearable situation. (Congestion is the swelling and congestion of the nasal mucosa: the soft, moist lining of the nasal passages.) And you can't stand the discomfort. You need help. You speak with your doctor and they prescribe a "decongestant" ("de" meaning "away from") ..FOR A FEW DAYS.

Decongestants are used to treat nasal congestion and other symptoms associated with colds and allergies. The commonly used forms are liquid and tablets. Nose sprays or drops may be used for acute situations but FOR NO MORE THAN TWO TO THREE DAYS IN A ROW OR AS PRESCRIBED BY A PHYSICIAN. Decongestants work by narrowing blood vessels, leading to the clearing of nasal congestion.

Decongestants are available both over-the-counter (OTC) and by prescription. Now you have help and can reach for the spray, liquid, or tablet. The blood vessels that have been dilated to bring the increased fluid supply now are chemically told to reduce this process and your nose stops running and the eyes feel better. A few days later you are fine again. But unfortunately you continue to be exposed to that same irritant (intruder). And you continue to use the same products that worked so well.

Over-the-counter nasal sprays, if used for a prolonged period of time, can CAUSE "rebound rhinitis" or nasal congestion symptoms. Decongestants can cause nervousness, sleeplessness, or elevated blood pressure. So all the effort you put into getting rid of the symptoms are now working against you.

You need to discuss this with your pharmacist or doctor. It's really useless and counter-productive to buy more medication that isn't working for you any longer, but in fact it is now working against you. Why would you do that? Because you didn't know! But you do know now. And now you should be paying attention to ALL labels. They are put on products with very important reasons and most of it for your protection.

Rebound is an action of certain drugs that works against your specific needs. It doesn't mean it's a bad drug. It means you need to know for how and for what reason you are taking it. Your original reason for taking it was good. Your continuing reason was not in your best interest.

Additional Information

Are Your Drugs Making You Sick?

Meniere's Disease and The Inflammatory Process and Healing Process

Meniere's Disease and The Inflammatory Process

A Very Simplistic Explanation of Free Radicals and Anti-Oxidants" & an Antioxidant Tutorial

The Body's Healing Process