Matrixx Initiatives Reaffirms Safety of Intranasal Zicam® Cold Remedy Gel

[snopes]

Matrixx continues to believe that Zicam Cold Remedy intranasal gel does not cause loss of smell and that claims to the contrary are scientifically unfounded and misleading. The company believes that upper respiratory infections and nasal and sinus disease are the causes of the smell dysfunctions reported by some consumers. One of the most common causes of smell disorders is the cold itself, the very condition the product is used to treat. Others are sinusitis and rhinitis, conditions which are sometimes present when the product is used. The company’s position is supported by cumulative science, and it has now been confirmed by a multi-disciplinary panel of scientists and the decisions of four separate federal judges evaluating the scientific evidence in seven cases.

http://www.integratir.com/newsreleas...73&ticker=MTXX

[snopes]

Among the most popular cold remedies: lozenges, nasal sprays and nasal gels containing the essential element zinc. Regardless of their mode of delivery, all of these zinc treatments claim to shorten the duration and lessen the severity of a cold if taken at the first sign of symptoms.

But the effectiveness of zinc treatments on the cold is unclear.

http://www.latimes.com/features/heal...,4645146.story