Zicam Cold Remedies Named in Another Suit

An Illinois woman has joined the growing ranks of users of the Zicam Cold Remedy products who have filed lawsuits claiming they lost their senses of smell after using the recalled homeopathic remedies.

Mary Pat Bollone filed her lawsuit on Dec. 31 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Matrixx Initiatives, the Arizona-based maker of the popular Zicam cold remedies, according to a report in the Madison-St. Clair Record.

Bollone is just one of hundreds of Zicam users who have filed lawsuits against the company alleging the products caused a condition called anosmia, more commonly known as loss of the sense of smell.

Zicam Linked to Loss of Smell Injuries

Zicam Cold Remedies were recalled in June 2009 after the Food and Drug Administration announced it had received 130 reports since 1999 from users who reported losing their senses of smell after using the products. Matrixx later said it had received about 800 reports from consumers who complained they developed anosmia after using one of the Zicam products.

In some cases, the loss of smell was permanent, while some users were able to regain some or all of their sense of smell after stopping use of the Zicam products, officials said. The lawsuits already filed seek financial compensation and other damages for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost income, and other expenses caused by the injuries.

Plaintiff Alleges Zicam Injuries

According to her lawsuit, Bollone bought and used Zicam in March 2008, more than a year before the products were recalled. As a result of using the product, Bollone suffered permanent loss of smell and taste, disability, loss of a normal life, pain, suffering and extreme emotional distress forcing her to incur medical costs, according to the complaint.

Bollone’s lawsuit also claims Matrixx should have recalled Zicam long before she suffered her injuries, the suit states, according to the Record. She also blamed the company for failing to adequately investigate consumer complaints of anosmia and instead continued marketing the drugs until the FDA took action in June 2009.

Zinc in Zicam Products To Blame?

Zicam products debuted in 1999 using zinc gluconate as the active ingredient. Zicam delivers the zinc gluconate to the nasal membranes through a spray, swab, or gel, the complaint says. It is suspected that the zinc ingredient is interfering with users’ sense of smell and causing the problems.

In January 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.

In her 10-count lawsuit, Bollone seeks a judgment of more than $500,000, plus costs and other relief the court deems just, the Record reports.

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