Zicam

I filed a complaint about loss of taste and smell due to Zicam nasal spray, but have heard nothing. Some sites state that this settlement was finalized and people paid, but I heard nothing.

I used Zicam internasal spray. It burned by sinuses something awful. I lost my sense of smell and taste for three months. I was elated when they came back.

I bought a bottle of Zicam allergy relief nasal gel for cold and allergy symptoms n Dec 2010/January 2011 and used it for runny nose etc. I thought my loss of smell and taste was due to a cold and or allergies. I have not been able to taste or smell since. I am posting this as of December 5, 2011. I have made contact with the company and the FDA with my concerns. I am hoping it is not permanent. I have burning in nose, metallic taste in mouth, loss of smell and taste.

I'm never using any Zicam products ever again. I avoided the nasal spray because of the loss of sense of smell, and consequently my taste as well in February/March of this year (2011). I honestly thought the oral spray would be safe to use. Without risking the same thing from happening, I started using it the day after my cold started, which was this past Sunday night. I felt much better on Wednesday; during that day felt like I had actually fought it off. I did miss one dose that day (was taking it every 3 hours as directed).

Then my cold came back on really hard Wednesday night. I continued to use the Zicam until 6 PM tonight (it's Thursday night), but this afternoon I noticed I lost my sense of smell and taste. I thought it might be my cold, but then I decided that it must be the Zicam. I'm discontinuing the use of the Zicam, and I guess I'll ride out my cold for the rest of its duration. I just hope and pray I'll get my sense of smell and taste back! People, stay away from all Zicam products!

I was sick with sinus congestion over the 4th of July weekend and had been using Zicam nasal gel. It worked pretty good but after three days, I noticed that I could no longer smell or taste anything. At that point, I stopped using it and have not used any medication or nasal products since. My senses have still not come back. I've tried nasal saleen wash and I can breathe through my nose just fine.

I hate to think that the product caused this and hope that it's not permanent. I feel a bit concerned as it is August 22nd now and I'm still without my sense of taste and smell.

In June of this year, I used 5 Zicam Allergy Relief Gel Swabs over a five-day period. I can no longer smell anything and barely taste food. I feel the texture but don't have taste.

I used Zicam nasal gel for cold symptoms in February. About mid February, I experienced a loss of smell and taste. It is now June and my symptoms are still present. After exploring this with an ENT, we found no medical reason for this to have occurred. The only thing that I did differently was use Zicam. I am shocked that this has occurred. I don't believe in lawsuits, most are frivolous but this can actually be dangerous, as I can't smell things like gas. My physician said that this is an actual complaint against this company. Please contact me via email to see if I have any recourse.

I used Zicam in October and December of 2009. I used the Cherry Chewables and the Cinnamon Melt Aways. They may have helped my cold symptoms a little, but very little. I probably should have just waited it out.

Since I used the products I have had continuous drainage down my throat and nothing comes out my nose anymore. If I want to clear my nose I have to wait till it drains down my throat and then spit it out. I know, extremely gross. I asked my endocrinologist about this, I saw my family doctor several times about it. He referred me to an ENT. All of them thought it was related to the Zicam until I told them I used the chewables and the meltaways and not the swabs. I really believe there is a problem with the type I took as well because I have never been the same since. I just hack constantly and it is embarrassing. I go into the bathroom at work so no one can hear me. I always feel like I have something in the back of my throat. None of this has ever happened to me until I took the Zicam. I have regretted it ever since and warned all my family and friends not to take it in any form.

On Christmas 2007 or 2008, I used Zicam nasal swabs. I was so impressed by how well it worked. But after using it one or two more times, my ability to smell decreased then disappeared. I went to the doctor finally last year after hearing about the class action lawsuit, to see if what I had was the same as I read about. He did all these tests and said that it was the same.

I continued to use it until I heard some comments about the gel swabs being removed from store shelves due to side effects, so I switched to the Rapid Melts variety. I did actually feel a certain amount of stinging sensation around the end of my nose where it was applied but not severe and I attributed it to the sensitivity of my nose due to the fact that I was fighting a cold and blowing my nose frequently.

Not all at once but gradually I noticed that I had lost a great deal of my smell when I was unable to smell things other people commented on. At the same time, I also realized that I was tasting less and less of the flavors of the food I was eating. I thought that this would improve with time and the end of using this product. It wasn't until recently while discussing my loss of smell and taste with someone else that I became aware that a class action suit was in the works. I have not seen a return of my taste and smell senses and have not used this product for at least 2-3 years. Please tell me how to proceed. Thanks.

After a couple of uses of this medication, I could not use it anymore because it made my symptoms even worse. My sense of smell worsened and has never returned. My wife often has to smell things to tell me if it is still good to eat. I smell very few scents; only extremely smelly stuff.

I was sick and my nose was running and I was using Zicam cold remedy nasal gel. I lost 60-80% of smell and taste. I have to use extra sugar, salt (food nor drink has any taste) that brought increased weight and caused me to become depressed. I don't want to go out and I don't have social life any longer. I can not get a job I dreamed of as a Fire Safety Director (as my mom had) as I can not smell smoke, gas, etc.

I have been using Zicam Gel for many years. Every time I would catch a cold, I would use it religiously. Approximately 2 years ago, my sense of smell changed. The smell of foods was suddenly different and the taste was also different. I still have my sense of smell and taste, but I can no longer distinguish a lot of things. For instance, if you were to give me something sweet like a Life Saver, it would taste sweet but I can not distinguish the flavor.

Also, the smell of perfumes and soaps can be sickening to me. I have had to relearn smells. Even the smell of gasoline is completely different. I saw an ear, nose and throat specialist and had a CT scan performed. However, the results showed no abnormalities. I just accepted the fact that my sense of smell and taste had changed and I would have to live with it, like it or not.

I was not aware that the use of Zicam was linked to people losing their sense of smell. Even after my symptoms surfaced, I continued to use this product. My quality of life is greatly diminished. I no longer enjoy eating. I eat to end my hunger. Being in crowds or around people with heavy perfumes, now makes me sick to my stomach. Had I known this product had been linked to this problem, I would have stopped using it before this happened to me. Now I will never know.

In the winter of 2006 and the spring of 2007 I used the Zicam nasal gel on and off periodically during my work day as I am a public servant and come in contact with the public going into their houses on a daily basis. I used Zicam gel as a preventative agent and when I felt any cold symptoms coming on in hopes of preventing full blown sickness. Eventually I did get sick with a terrible a sinus/allergy/cold/brochitis combination that left me sick for weeks in May 2007. I was on a lot of prescribed medicines for allergy, coughing and eventually antibiotics and at the same time using Zicam gel. I can remember the day that I realized I lost some sense of taste because I made a public nusiance of myself at a conference. I had just finished a strong antibiotic pack a few days before and felt better that day. We were served soft drinks out of cans with plastic cups. The soft drink tasted so bad I thought that the ice machine had been cleaned with PineSol cleaner and had gotten into the ice. So I poured it out and tried the Pepsi straight out of the can and it tasted the same-like club soda and Pine-Sol. After that day I noticed other strange smells and I went to the doctor some but he could not tell me exactly what caused it or if I would ever be atime later and told her I felt that it was a medicine combination that caused me to lose sense of smell and taste. I was referred to a specialist and he told me my sinus cavity was fine and I did not have sinus blockages or problems. He said it was probably nerve endings that died ble to taste and smell correctly again.

I again began using the swabs 3/2009 to prevent colds and flus since I work in a large Human Resources department and this would hopefully ward off any airborn illnesses that I come into cantact with.

I used an entire box from early March until mid April 2009 when I realized I could not smell even strong aromas like coffee brewing or garlic sauteing or could I tell what the smell was from using Purell hand sanitizers or my favorite chewing gum. I thought it was due to my having bronchitis during the month of April but then my smell never returned and it is now Sept 11 and I still cannot distinguish between most flavors or smells which has me very upset since I cannot enjoy the pleasure of eating !!! Only on 9/05 did I discover it was all from Zicam since a family member at a reunion asked me if I had been taking Zicam and told me the products had been pulled.

I do not know the future outcome of this problem but even this morning 9/11/2009 I could not tell what the flavor was from peanut butter on toast that I had for breakfast. So this tells you I can't determine even strong smells and tastes as to actually what they are. I am pretty upset by the whole matter and don't know where to turn or how do I go about reviving the tissue in my nose to regain the normal function of smell and taste.

I used ZICAM's Allergy Relief nasal spray and Cold Remedy swabs for over a year. May of 2009 I noticed my sense of smell was gone. I could not smell anything. then when I heard the news about ZICAM's products, I stopped using their products. However my sense of smell is still gone.

I used numerous Zicam products from the fall of 2007 to the spring of 2008 for cold symptoms. I noticed in May that my sense of smell and taste were severely distored and went to my doctor. I was referred to a specialist who ran blood tests, x-rays, MRI, CT scan etc in an attempt to determine the cause. I still have the zicam containers

Used ZICAM nasal gel, swabs and oral spray for the past six years. Lost 50-75% of smell and taste.

After using Zicam cold remedy, the inside of my nose became sore; and my sense of smell was impaired, and it still is, to date. I cannot function properly during daily work or home in regards to lifestyle.

I have used Zicam on and off over the years. However, in July 2008, when I moved into an apartment in NY, my nose was stuffy. I was sneezing constantly and had post-nasal drip. I do not or did not until that move have any allergies except towards cats. That said, around April of this year, I began taking regular doses of Zicam to help eliminate what I thought to be new sinus or allergy symptoms due to the pollen and pollution. After twice daily using the Zicam nasal spray with two spritzes in each nostril, I have lost my sense of smell. I cannot smell the difference between roses and basil, from oregano to bleach powder. I will not be able to sense danger such as gasoline leaks or smoke due to this loss of smell. I want to file a class action suit in the state of New York. Please advise me.

In 2005, after using the gel for a period of time, I lost my sense of smell and then smelled things not there - like something is burning. I consulted my EENT doctor who examined me and said it's probably Zicam. I was prescribed a course of steroids which helped, but my sense of smell has never been the same. Sometimes, a strong smell will stay with me long after the source is gone and there seems to be no help for this. It's very disturbing. Sometimes, out of nowhere, I will smell something in my nose for no reason at all. I do not have allergies. I never smoked and I never used cocaine or other illegal substances in my nose.

Our entire family now believes Zicam is using deceptive advertising to sell it's liquid Multi-Symptom Cold & Flu medications. We purchased both the daytime and nighttime bottles because our kids really dislike the tastes of other liquid brands. Zicam claims to be 'virtually tasteless when added to any beverage' - HA! You can mix that stuff with anything imaginable, but trying to choke down the first sip is quite another story...disgusting doesn't begin to describe it.

Total waste of money buying these 2 bottles of false advertising!

I have lost my sense of smell and taste and am really depressed