Zicam

The effects of the common cold can turn a typical day into a miserable experience, where you spend the day longing for the comforts of home. Coughing, sneezing, dripping nose, aches, and chills are some symptoms that can stop you in your tracks. In an effort to minimize the symptoms of a cold, people go to the pharmacy to find relief. Ever since Zicam has hit the market, it has gained great popularity among consumers. Zicam is an over-the-counter homeopathic medication designed to lessen the duration of the common cold. Many have been using Zicam without knowledge of the side effects it could cause. Meanwhile, the manufacturers have been enjoying the benefits from the success of the drug.

Zicam comes in variety of different forms to ease the discomfort of cold sufferers. Some of the Zicam products come in the form of tablets and gel swabs, while others are in a form of sprays, pumps, and liquid. It is said that the most popular form of Zicam are the gel swabs. A typical cold sufferer in the store may select the gel swabs because it is in a single-use applicator that is very portable. This prevents the Zicam from dripping out from the person's nasal cavity, as sometimes happens with nasal sprays. It is believed that the Zicam cold remedy sprays and swabs are the two forms mainly responsible for the potentially dangerous side effects.

The FDA, Food and Drug Administration, stated in 2009 that Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel and Nasal swabs should no longer be used, because anosmia was a potential side effect of it's use. Anosmia is an olfactory disorder that causes a person to lose his sense of smell, either temporarily or permanently. Which can also affect one's sense of taste as well. A loss of the sense of smell cause be dangerous in serious situations, such as a gas leak in the house, or in the case of a fire. In general, people use their sense of smell more often than we are aware, except when we are suddenly without it. According the FDA, there have been more than 130 cases claiming that their sense of smell was impaired after use of the Zicam products mentioned above.

Anyone experiencing a loss in smell in encouraged to seek medical evaluation immediately. Seeking relief from cold remedies should not put anyone in serious danger. Companies have a obligation to prove to the FDA that their products are safe for the general public to use as intended. However,
when products prove to be faulty, they must seek FDA-approval to continue selling the products, and in this case products administered via the nose.

Researchers found that the side effects of Zicam are linked directly to zinc gluconate. Zinc gluconate is the homeopathic cold remedy's key ingredient. The direct intranasal application of zinc gluconate causes the persons sense of smell to disappear. The worst thing is that in some cases, the side effects are irreversible. Hence the manufacturers of this medicine containing zinc gluconate have failed to impose proper warnings on the consumers, and those affected are entitled to compensation for the damage.

If you or a relative have used this medicine and you are suffering from the side effects of the Zicam, then you may be entitled to compensation. The manufacturers of Zicam may have been irresponsible in ignoring the medicine's side effects, as they marketed the drug without adequate warning. Unfortunately, in exchange for their irresponsibility, you have suffered from more than just a common cold. More doctors appointments and co-pay, as well as the distress of losing the ability to smell should be compensated for. Consider contacting an attorney if you have been victim to Zicam, and find out what your rights are. You may be entitled to damages for your innocent attempts to decrease feelings of a cold. After seeking medical advice, call a lawyer for legal advice on what actions you should take.

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