Zicam Cold Remedy Linked to Loss of Smell, FDA Says Not to Use
Posted on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Zicam cold remedy has been linked to the loss of the sense of smell (anosmia), so the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised consumers not to use it.
One-hundred, thirty incidences have been reported to the FDA. “Loss of sense of smell is a serious risk for people who use these products for relief from cold symptoms,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). “We are concerned that consumers may unknowingly use a product that could cause serious harm, and therefore we are advising them not to use these products for any reason.”
The Zicam cold medicines include:
• Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel
• Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs
• Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size (which has been discontinued)
Consumers who have used this product are encouraged to stop and contact their health care professional.
The FDA points out that a loss of smell for individuals could be hazardous because people cannot smell certain gases, smoke or other danger signs in the environment.
