Why is zicam dangerous

List of Partners vendors. Zicam is a homeopathic medication that claims to shorten the duration and severity of the common cold. The oral products in the Zicam line e. The original zinc-containing nasal spray formulations, however, were recalled after federal investigators found that the nasal application of zinc can cause the loss of the sense of smell. Because of this, nasal Zicam products on stores shelves today have plant-based homeopathic active ingredients. Although considered safer, there is a lack of evidence as to whether they can actually treat colds.

Oral Zicam products contain zinc as their active ingredient, while the nasal products do not. As such, their methods of action differ. Zicam oral products Zicam RapidMelts, Medicated Fruit Drops, Wild Cherry Lozenges, Oral Mist, and Ultra Crystals contain zinc as their active ingredient in the form of zincum aceticum and zincum gluconicum the homeopathic names of zinc acetate and zinc gluconate.

The theory is that zinc ions can block rhinoviruses the most common viruses that cause colds at the point where they bind to the cells lining the respiratory passages. Taken at the start of a cold, zinc may reduce the duration of a cold. Lozenges and other oral Zicam applications especially target viruses in the oral cavity and throat, and should be taken as soon as symptoms develop. When taken by mouth, zinc is considered safe if not overused. However, zinc can have unpleasant side effects, including leaving a bad taste in the mouth and nausea.

The ingredients in Zicam nasal products available today are mostly plant-based and found in other homeopathic remedies for allergies and cold symptoms. Homeopathic products are based on the theory that "like cures like," meaning that highly diluted amounts of a substance are used to provoke a symptom in order to cure that very symptom.

Nasal Zicam products follow this methodology. The listed active ingredients are highly diluted extracts of Galphimia glauca , Luffa operculata , and Sabadilla. While commonly used in homeopathy, there is little qualitative research to support their use in treating colds.

The inactive ingredients include eucalyptol from eucalyptus , eugenol from clove oil , and menthol. Zicam continues to label its nasal products as "clinically-proven," although their website does not offer links to any clinical studies other than for zinc-based products. Nasal Zicam options were once formulated with zinc as the active ingredient, with the idea that they worked as the oral products do. Yesenia Melgar is seeking a claim for injuries she suffered from at her workplace in the city of Riviera Nayarit in Mexico.

In a class action lawsuit, plaintiffs have the right to receive monetary settlements as their legal fees are covered by the company. Thus, the settlement money will be divided amongst the class members. However, there is no guarantee of receiving a monetary settlement because the company may reject your claim.

There are several reasons why the company might decline your claim for Zicam. Some of the reasons are as follows:. The forms do not comply with federal and local labor laws. Typical homeopathic remedies are diluted to a point where essentially none of the original material is still present. But in the case of the Zicam products the dilution factor is only 2X, which means that the original material was diluted to the level of 1 part in one hundred, meaning that it's still quite detectable.

The unproven principles of homeopathy say that the more diluted something is, the more effective and they are often diluted to 1 part in a million 6X or much lower X or more.

One popular influenza remedy called Oscillococcinum is actually C, which means that it was diluted times, each at a fold dilution that's one part taken to a zeros-fold dilution. This may be why only some people have developed loss of smell from the Zicam products and not everyone who has used them.

The unfortunate few may have been especially sensitive to the effects of zinc. If the label is to be believed, Zicam does contain a very small amount of zinc one part in parts of whatever the diluent is.

In an accompanying warning letter to Matrixx, the FDA said that they had received "more than reports of anosmia. The FDA has requested that Matrixx immediately submit all such reports to the agency. In addition, the FDA warned Matrixx that it was selling its products illegally because they are actually "drugs" according to the regulatory definition of a drug, which is a product "intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease.

The table below lists the Zicam products that are available which are for oral use. The actual amount of zinc in these zicam products is not provided by the manufacturer.

However, they recommend using 1 tablet of the rapid melts every hours, up to 7 in a day. Based on that dosing it is likely there is 7mg or less per tablet. Seven tablets per day times 7mg would be 49mg, which is below the 50mg threshold recommended. The label for nasal swabs and nasal spray forms of Zicam is shown above. As you can see there is no zinc at all in these products. The zinc has been removed and replaced with:. Zinc gluconate has been shown to be toxic to certain cells inside the nose.

It can produce a burning sensation that can lead to loss of smell. In some cases zinc has a been shown to cause this damage permanently. From the time Zicam nasal products that contained zinc came on the market until there were hundreds of reported cases of this side effect. After that Matrix the manufacturer of Zicam recalled the products. They then changed the formulation to what is shown above, which contains no zinc.

Loss of smell could be a life changing problem. The sense of smell protects us from being alerted to toxic odors such as gas or smoke.

However, it is also the key to enjoying foods you eat. The smell of food is just as important as our taste buds.

Who wants to have no good tasting food for the rest of their life? The other ingredients are not proven to reduce the symptoms of a cold. If you want to prevent or shorten a cold try other oral zinc products. However, if you are deficient in zinc, it may prevent your immune system from working at its best.