ZICAM CAN KILL YOUR SENSE OF SMELL

From: New York attorney Gary E. Rosenberg (personal injury and accident attorney and lawyer; serving Brooklyn Queens Bronx; Bronx accident lawyer)

On June 16, 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers to stop using and to discard three zinc-containing Zicam nose sprays. The products may cause a loss of sense of smell.

This warning does not involve oral zinc tablets and lozenges taken by mouth. Dietary zinc is also not subject to this warning. Zinc is an important trace mineral that is an essential part of the human diet. Among other things, Zinc is needed for a healthy immune system (the body's defense), and is critical for normal growth. Zinc primarily comes from food. The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins and minerals is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods.

The FDA took action because it received more than 130 reports of anosmia--the loss of sense of smell--associated with use of Zicam products.

Many people who experienced a loss of sense of smell say that the condition occurred with the first dose, although some people have reported loss of sense of smell after later doses. FDA is concerned that the loss of sense of smell may be permanent.

A New York City man is suing Mattrix Initiatives, the maker of Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Spray in New York City Federal Court for $75 million. The products liability case claims that Zicam is a negligently designed product, and that it took away his senses of smell and taste.

Plaintiff Paul Buck Jr. said he used the over-the-counter zinc-filled spray from 2006 to 2009, and now suffers from "anosmia" - a loss of taste and smell, according to his Manhattan lawsuit.

The litigation claims that Buck worked for a food vendor at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art; as such, he his senses of taste and smell for his job.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendant described the spray as "doctor recommended," "safe and effective" and a "patented homeopathic" remedy, all terms designed to "lull consumers.