Rhinitis medicamentosa

What it is

Rhinitis medicamentosa is rebound congestion, that is vasodilation of the nasal mucosa, from excessive or prolonged use, put at more than 5 days, of intranasal vasoconstrictors: xylo/oxymetazoline. Another page describes it as a recurrent, nonallergic inflammation of the nasal mucosa associated with certain medications, and as rebound nasal congestion seen upon discontinuing intranasal sympathomimetics such as phenylephrine, oxymetazoline and xylometazoline, occurs 5-7 days after use of topical decongestants.

It sits inside the nonallergic side of the rhinitis table, among the major causes of rhinitis, where its own two entries are nasal decongestant sprays and intranasal cocaine. Rhinitis itself is the presence of one or more of sneezing, rhinorrhoea whether anterior or posterior, nasal congestion or stuffiness, nasal itching and cough.

The topical decongestant that is listed among the treatments of allergic rhinitis carries the note that it may lead to rhinitis medicamentosa. So the drug that causes it is one that is recommended, and it is the duration and not the drug that goes wrong.