South Florida Personal Injury Blog

Fort Lauderdale injury lawyer Andrew Alitowski has learned that federal regulators from the Food and Drug Administration, the government agency which oversees prescription drugs, food safety, cosmetics, and other goods, has recommended that consumers immediately cease usage of Zicam nasal treatments due to consumer safety issues. The Zicam products include gels and swabs designed to alleviate nasal cavity congestion. They are advertised as over-the-counter products effective at treating symptoms of the common cold. Zicam also makes flu, multisymptom, and allergy products.

The FDA issued its warning after determining that at least 130 people have lost their sense of smell after using the drug, which contains zinc gluconate. It is not clear whether the loss of smell is permanent or only temporary, an issue that may still be under investigation at this point in time, says Broward injury attorney Alitowski. Regulators said that the other Zicam products, such as chewable tablets and a mist taken orally, are not affected by the recommendation, as the FDA has not determined that the product, when taken in other forms, affects sense of smell. Some of the people affected reported that they lost their sense of smell after just a single dose of the over-the-counter medication, while others reported that they were not affected for several treatments. It is also possible that affected consumers did not immediately realize the problem, due to the effect of congestion on sense of smell, nor is it clear whether any of the affected users plan to file product liability lawsuits against the manufacturer.

The FDA recommendation also highlighted the importance of smell for safety reasons: "The loss of sense of smell can adversely affect a person's quality of life and can limit the ability to detect the smell of gas or smoke or other signs of danger in the environment." Additionally, because smell is heavily associated with taste, a decreased or nonexistent ability to smell has far-reaching effects.

Fort Lauderdale injury attorney Alitowski reminds consumers that it is important to follow the FDA consumer advisories. The agency has recently issued advisories related to the dangers over topical anesthetics, especially during laser hair removal, and the possibility of depression or suicidal thoughts associated with the prescription asthma medication Singulair.