Zicam Can Cause Permanent Loss of Smell Says FDA

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that consumers should stop using Zicam nasal gel and swabs as they can permanently damage user’s sense of smell. Zicam is a homeopathic cold remedy which is manufactured by Matrixx Initiative of Scottsdale, Arizona. The announcement does not cover other Zicam products such as their tablets and liquid forms.

Since 1999, when Zicam was first introduced to the market, the FDA has received 130 reports of users of Zicam losing their sense of smell. In 2006, Matrixx paid $12 to settle 340 lawsuits filed by consumers who alleged they had lost their sense of smell. That amounts to just over $35,000 per lawsuit. Hundreds more lawsuits have been filed since then.

According to scientists, Zicam contains zinc gluconate which is an acid. When users would inhale the product, the zinc gluconate would burn the olfactory receptors at the top of the nose causing a permanent loss of smell.

Matrixx denied that Zicam has caused any harm but has voluntarily withdrawn its Cold Remedy Swabs and Cold Remedy Gel from the market.

Walton Law Firm LLP represents individuals who have been harmed by defective and/or unsafe products. Walton Law Firm LLP has already represented one individual who lost her sense of smell from using Zicam. If you have suffered a loss of your sense of smell due to the use of Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs or Cold Remedy Gel, please call us for a free confidential consultation.