Woman reveals addiction to popular cold remedy as experts urge seven-day limit on use

A woman has revealed she has been battling a 23-year addiction to nasal sprays, as new research reveals the risk of using the sprays long-term. Charlotte Johnstone, 30, appeared on Good Morning Britain on Thursday (8 January), where she opened up about her addiction which first began when she was a little girl. “It's such a fresh feeling and then I got addicted to that feeling of it and now I've got this rebound congestion,” she said. Rebound congestion, or rhinitis medicamentosa, is worsening nasal stuffiness caused by the overuse of decongestant nasal sprays. It comes as new research by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) revealed that nearly 60 per cent of people are unaware that these sprays shouldn't be used for more than seven days or it could lead to dependency.