FDA: over-the-counter cold spray Zicam has caused loss of smell in more than 100 patients

Quoted from http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/48157892.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUsX

FDA: over-the-counter cold spray Zicam has caused loss of smell in more than 100 patients

The Food and Drug Administration says consumers should stop using Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel and related products immediately.

By MATTHEW PERRONE, Associated Press

Last update: June 16, 2009 - 2:28 PM

WASHINGTON - Consumers should stop using Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel and related products because they can permanently damage the sense of smell, federal health regulators said Tuesday.

The over-the-counter products contain zinc, an ingredient scientists say may damage nerves in the nose needed for smell. The other products affected by the Food and Drug Administration's announcement are adult and kid-size Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs.

The FDA says about 130 consumers have reported a loss of smell after using Matrixx Initiatives' Zicam products since 1999. Shares of the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company plunged to a 52-week low after the FDA announcement, losing more than half their value.

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