After hundreds of lawsuits and millions paid out in settlements, the FDA says it smells trouble. Now the FDA is warning people not to use a popular over the counter medication called ZICAM.
UCSD Doctor Terence Davidson says he has seen at least two dozen patients who have lost their sense of smell after using ZICAM. Some lost their sense of smell after just one dose.
"They squirted it. They sniffed it. They had this incredible ten out of ten pain," says Dr. Davidson.
ZICAM'S Manufacturer is defending the safety of the product, but says it may remove it from the shelves.
Dr. Davidson says there is little evidence that the nasal spray has any medical benefit. "unfortunately it doesn't make much scientific sense."
ZICAM was treated as a homeopathic medicine because it contains zinc - so it did not have to get formal FDA before being put on the shelves.
The FDA says because of the safety concerns that will change.
"This has been a horrible disaster," says Dr. Davidson.
