Texan Sues Zicam for Causing Loss of Sense of Smell

A Longview, Texas man has sued the makers of the popular Zicam cold remedies saying that using the products to fight a cold caused him to lose his sense of smell and taste.

Robert Echols said he purchased Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel and immediately after using it, he felt an intense burning and stinging sensation in his nose. He later lost all sense of smell and has had only some of the sense return after he stopped using the product, according to a report in the Southeast Texas Record.

Echols’ suit accuses the maker of Zicam products, Matrixx Inititatives of Scottsdale, Arizona, of marketing an unreasonably dangerous product that caused him to develop anosmia, the medical term for the loss of the sense of smell. He claims his sense of taste has been “severely diminished and is likewise permanent and irreversible.”

Zicam Products Recalled

Three Zicam products – Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs Kids Size – were recalled in June after the Food and Drug Administration said it had received 130 reports since 1999 of Zicam users losing their sense of smell.

The Zicam products are considered homeopathic remedies and as such were not subjected to the same FDA testing that is required of new drugs and medical devices. The FDA, however, ordered Matrixx to suspend marketing of the Zicam products and to submit a new-drug application that will have to be reviewed and approved before the products are allowed back on the market.

Company Denies Zicam Caused Injuries

Matrixx has denied that the Zicam products caused users to lose their sense of smell, but is cooperating with the FDA investigation. Officials said Matrixx never told the FDA about 800 other reports it received over the years from consumers who complained about losing their sense of smell after using the Zicam products. The company said FDA reporting rules do not require the company to notify the agency of such reports.

In 2006, Matrixx paid about $12 million to settle legal claims brought by about 300 Zicam users who said they lost their sense of smell after using the cold remedies.

Echols is just the latest Zicam user to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for their injuries. In January, Mary Ann Brandon of Texas sued Matrixx for causing her to lose her sense of smell. Hundreds of similar lawsuits are believed to have been filed across the United States.

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