The Controversy Of Zicam Causing Loss Of Smell

Zicam was to be the wonder drug of the century. When it was developed, it was believed that Zicam could reduce the length of the common cold.

Zicam was made as an inhalant, a gel, and even came in children’s strength. It was an instant success. The sales of Zicam skyrocketed as the news of this incredible drug got out. Making a huge profit of over thirteen million dollars in one quarter.

Zicam’s active ingredients are zinc gluconate. When administered through inhalation, research indicated that the length of the common cold was reduced by as much as one third.

This was not only a benefit to the person who had the cold, but also in a small way it helped the employers by reducing absences due to this illness.

As with any drug, there are side affects that are associated with Zicam. Some can be as minor as aches and pains, others it is far more serious. It has been reported that millions of people have lost their sense of smell and taste after using Zicam.

To some, it may seem like it is not a big deal. You can’t taste a fine wine, or smell the flowers in the garden, but loosing your sense of smell is far more serious than that, it can even be fatal.

If a person cannot taste or smell, food poisoning and even death is a real threat. If there is a fire, or a gas leak, what alerts us to it is our sense of smell. It is something that we do not think twice about in our daily lives, but without it, our lives are in serious jeopardy.

After being investigated, makers of Zicam acknowledged that they had not followed through thoroughly with their testing, and that they did not have any type of warning on their label that would alert the person taking the Zicam of the potential danger.

Further investigation revealed that the FDA had not given its seal of approval for Zicam. Because it was filed under the FDA Guidelines for homeopathic medicine, it did not require the FDA’s approval.

Because their was so much controversy regarding Zicam, and the results of all studies showed that Zicam did nothing for the common cold, numerous lawsuits have been filed against the makers of Zicam claiming that they have known all along what the side affects could be and were negligent in not warning the public by omitting the crucial health risks on the labels. Certain studies have indicated that Zicam and any product containing zinc gluconate have absolutely no effect on the common cold.

To date, the makers of Zicam have settled over twelve billion dollars in lawsuits.

Disclaimer – The information presented here should not be interpreted as or substituted for medical advice. Please talk to a qualified professional for more information about Zicam.