Zicam: Zinc Reportedly Linked to Smell Loss in 1930s

Buffalo, NYWith winter—and cold season—just around the corner, some people are wondering what cold remedy they can turn to for help dealing with their seasonal sniffles. Many turned to Zicam, but with a recent recall of certain Zicam products following revelations of serious Zicam side effects, not everyone will be as quick to reach for that remedy. The reason for the recall was that people were experiencing Zicam smell loss. Unfortunately, following the Zicam loss of smell, people found that their sense of smell was not returning.

What the patients experienced is called anosmia—a loss of the sense of smell. Some patients say their sense of smell has returned somewhat, but most say that it has not improved, despite their discontinuing use of Zicam nasal spray. Furthermore, they say their sense of taste has been affected, too, making once pleasurable foods seem bland and unappealing.

The recall was announced after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received reports of 130 instances of a loss of sense of smell after using certain Zicam products. However, in 2006, Matrixx Initiatives, maker of Zicam, agreed to pay $12 million to settle approximately 340 lawsuits. Those lawsuits alleged that Zicam was responsible for either damaging or destroying their sense of smell.

Although Matrixx agreed to settle the lawsuit, the company did so saying that the move was a business decision, and the company did not believe that zinc in Zicam caused the loss of smell. However, some experts disagree, saying zinc is used in laboratory animals to destroy their smell and can cause a loss of smell in humans.

Meanwhile, medical experts say that it has been known since 1938 that zinc can harm the sense of smell in people. According to an article in The Washington Post (January 30, 2006), in 1937, doctors in Canada used a zinc nasal solution to destroy the sense of smell in children. That was done as part of an experiment to prevent polio in children.

Also drawing mixed conclusions is whether or not zinc gels, sprays or lozenges are at all effective in fighting common colds. According to The Washington Post studies have not yet solved the debate as to whether or not zinc does fight colds—with some studies showing it does and some showing it does not. So, patients could not only be suffering a serious side effect—they might not be receiving any benefit from using the spray at all.

What is clear is that some patients have developed anosmia after using Zicam products, and the FDA is concerned enough to have taken action in this case. The FDA also sent a warning letter to Matrixx, stating that the company's products cannot be marketed without FDA approval and that the Zicam remedies did not have adequate warnings about the risk of a loss of sense of smell.