I was using Zicam until my cold went away. A month later my sense of smell became poor, what should I do?

Question:    My doctor told me to use Zicam until my cold symptoms stopped. Since I continued to experience a runny nose and sinus headaches, I kept taking the product for over three weeks. I first noticed something was odd when I could no longer smell the roses I regularly pick outside in my personal garden.

I became much more upset after a recent earthquake here in California when I couldn’t smell a gas leak that developed in my kitchen. I now know that Zicam can hinder a person’s sense of smell. Can I pursue a claim like this on my own?

Response:    While some legal matters can be pursued without an attorney, you’ll need a lawyer to help you interact with a large pharmaceutical company that may be eager to avoid removing a highly profitable drug from the marketplace. By speaking with an attorney, you’ll also find out if it’s best for you to pursue your claim as an individual or as part of a class action  lawsuit against Zicam’s manufacturer.

If you haven’t already done so, you should see a doctor right away to document your medical condition and see what treatments might be available to you. Be sure your doctor notes all of your related symptoms such as burning sensations when you sneeze, eye irritations or occasional nosebleeds.

Pharmaceutical companies can make it very hard on plaintiffs so be ready to submit to all of the necessary doctor examinations. Also, make sure you select a lawyer who’s successfully prevailed over one or more drug companies in the past.

Answered by Elizabeth Smith

Additional Resources:

• Choosing a Product Liability Attorney
• Recall of Zicam
• Side Effects and Other Zicam Problems

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