The New York Daily News reports that a New Yorker is suing because he claims that a Zicam Cold Remedy Product caused him to lose his sense of smell.
Matrixx Initiatives, the makers of Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Spray, is listed as the defendant in the lawsuit that was filed by the victim's New York injury lawyer at Manhattan Federal Court. The victim claims that after using the product from 2006 to 2009, he developed anosmia. Anosmia is the complete loss of the sense of smell, according to the Mayo Clinic. Now he has lost his sense of smell and taste. He claims that the injury is especially difficult for him because his former job as the director of operations at Art Food LLC required him to use those skills.
The lawsuit claims that Matrixx Initiatives was negligent to use zinc ions because they have been known to create anosmia since as early as 1937.
In the FDA news release that was issued on June 16, 2009, the FDA advised consumers to stop using the following Zicam products: Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs Kids Size. The warning stated that these products were linked to 130 reports of anosmia. There was no set number of how many uses it took for the people to lose their sense of smell: some people claim to have lost it after the first use, whereas others reported that it took several uses.
The director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research explained that the loss of smell can be very dangerous because a person can no longer smell smoke or a gas leak. She said, "Loss of smell is a serious risk for people who use these products for relief from cold symptoms."
MSNBC reported that the FDA did not need to test the product initially because it qualified as a homeopathic product: a remedy containing "herbs, minerals, and flowers." However, after these cases, Matrixx Initiatives' products will have to be approved by the FDA.
Related Resources:
- Zicam Cold Products Linked to Loss of Sense of Smell (Injured)
- FDA Warns Against Three Zicam Cold Medicines (FindLaw Knowledge Base)
- New York Injury Lawyer Directory (FindLaw)
