ResearchSafe

VIP Intranasal Use: Blood Pressure Drop & How I’m Monitoring It

Posted by greg208 in Safety & Side Effects - 2 points, 6 comments.

I started using VIP intranasal sprays (about 50 µg per spray, 2–3 times a day) to help with symptoms of chronic inflammatory response syndrome. Within a week I noticed a consistent feeling of lightheadedness, especially right after the first dose in the morning. My cuff shows a drop of around 15 mmHg systolic and 7 mmHg diastolic, which I track every day.

Since I’m on lisinopril for hypertension, I’m nervous about cumulative hypotension. To stay safe I’m keeping a log of BP readings, noting the time of each spray and any dizziness. I also sprinkle a few drops of saline in my nose to mitigate irritation and flushing that sometimes follows a spray.

I’m not sure how long the transient BP drop lasts – the literature says only a few minutes, but my readings suggest it lingers longer. Anyone else who pairs VIP with antihypertensives? What monitoring or dosage adjustments have you found useful?

Comments

  • liam_sleepnerd: I’ve actually paired a vasodilatory nasal spray (a low‑dose oxytocin prep) with lisinopril, and my cuff was a touch lower right after the first dose each day, just like yours. Tbh I started logging every reading with the spray time and kept a separate log of heart‑rate variability because the drop usually resolves in about 20–25 minutes; if it’s still there after an hour I toss the next dose. I also tried spacing the spray 30 minutes apart from the lisinopril dose, no change in my readings, but
  • hank_m: Tbh i’ve had a similar dip after the first spray each day, so i did the same thing – cut the VIP to 25 µg and logged everything. I didn’t notice a difference when spacing it 30 minutes from lisinopril, but i did notice a quick rebound in heart‑rate variability within 20 minutes, so i keep the second dose until the pulse feels normal.
  • brandon245: Thanks for the heads‑up. I’ve been tracking my BP and HRV too. The 30‑minute spacing didn’t change my readings, but cutting the VIP dose in half helped the lightheadedness disappear. I’ll keep the log and monitorantic heart‑rate during the dip. Any experience with doing a quick BP check right after the spray?
  • greg208: I’m not doing a post‑spray check yet, but I’ve been thinking about it. I’d usually wait 10–15 minutes before the first cuff read because the literature says the dip is short. If I start measuring at 2 minutes and then again at 5, I suspect I’ll catch a sharper drop that the 30‑minute spacing misses. I’ll try that next week and log the numbers. If that shows a big transient fall, I’ll cut the dose in half like you did, but I’ll also keep an eye on HRV to see if the body compensates.
  • greg208: Thanks for the heads up, mate. I’ll try cutting to 25 µg and log the numbers exactly as you do. Curious if the lower dose makes a measurable difference in my cuff readings – do you see the 15 mmHg drop less pronounced? Also you mentioned HRV rebound; do you notice any change in that after the second dose? Might help me decide when to skip it.
  • greg208: Thanks for the detail, liam. I’ll cut my VIP dose by half and start logging HRV like you say, seeing if the 20‑minute window holds. Spacing the spray 30 minutes after lisinopril didn’t help my readings, but I’ll keep it that way for peace of mind. You mentioned you felt safer, did you notice any nausea or flushing from the oxytocin?

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.