Symptoms after using old nasal inhaler

[flappergirl]

Hi,

I have been trying really hard during this Coronavirus panic to stay calm and rational but I have lost it a bit today!

At the weekend I had a throat tickle and stuffy nose and I thought it was hay fever so I squirted some beconase nasal steroid spray up my nose and took antihistamine. Today my nose was running and so I took antihistamine. I didn’t take the nasal inhaler the second time because after I’d used it on Saturday, I noticed that it said discard after 3 months! I likely opened it this time last year, but I didn’t worry much Saturday as I thought that it wouldn’t cause a problem. Is the medicine likely to be dangerous as it is past use by guideline? Or just less potent as a medicine?

So now I am worried my runny nose and cold like symptoms are either
A) brain eating bug caused by inhaling old nasal spray
B) Coronavirus

I am trying to reassure myself that A) lives in water not medicine and so that is unlikely, so it’s probably hay fever/a cold or at the very worst B). I am a teacher in the UK so I have had to go to work today and I know that some people have been self isolating as a precaution.

I don’t want A or B but am obsessing about both but mostly A! I have a funny watery metallic taste in my mouth and my nose and ears feel blocked which I am fretting about being a symptom of A) but I have had these symptoms with a cold before.

I know that I shouldn’t seek reassurance but someone please tell me that this is nothing serious!

[Kirbear]

Absolutely don’t panic. I have done this before when I had some spray left over from last hayfever season. Used it for a couple of days until I could get a new one. Would imagine it just means it is less effective. Highly doubt you have snorted a brain eating bug.

[flappergirl]

Thank you. I know it sounds nuts but not much is making sense to me at the moment! I have itchy nose too now so probably hay fever or a cold. 🙈

[Fishmanpa]

So now I am worried my runny nose and cold like symptoms are either
A) brain eating bug caused by inhaling old nasal spray
B) Coronavirus


Ok.... let's look at it this way....

It's a medicine bottle bottle with a screw top that was most likely in the medicine cabinet of your bathroom. Its expired, meaning it won't be as effective but its not like milk left out of the fridge :shrug: It doesn't spoil, brain eating ameoba don't find their way from stagnant warm waters into a medicine bottle and if the Corona virus can do that, we're all definitely doomed! ;)

Looking at it like that, should you be remotely concerned?

Positive thoughts

[flappergirl]

Thank you fishmanpa. I was fretting that the brain bug could grow in my medicine but it lives in standing warm water like you said. My medicine is not standing warm water and I’ll just keep telling myself that.

The Coronavirus I was more worried to have picked up somewhere, but that is one of the great unknowns at the moment I guess! Every sniffle and odd sensation makes me scurry down the rabbit hole. Since the thing erupted in Europe I feel constantly hot in the face but no fever. Now they announce loss of taste/smell as a possible symptom I feel like I have that too. The whole situation at the moment is like a nightmare for anxiety sufferers, but it does make me chuckle a little that my crazy behaviour from when I had contamination ocd is now being repeated by people around the world as necessary behaviour. Eg wash hands a lot, clean things a lot, wear gloves to avoid contamination, stay at home, get home deliveries, my folks not opening parcels for a bit to avoid surface contamination. 🤯