What is zicam

The ingredients in Zicam nasal products available today are mostly plant-based and found in other homeopathic remedies for allergies and cold symptoms.

Homeopathic products are based on the theory that "like cures like," meaning that highly diluted amounts of a substance are used to provoke a symptom in order to cure that very symptom. Nasal Zicam products follow this methodology. The listed active ingredients are highly diluted extracts of Galphimia glauca , Luffa operculata , and Sabadilla. While commonly used in homeopathy, there is little qualitative research to support their use in treating colds. The inactive ingredients include eucalyptol from eucalyptus , eugenol from clove oil , and menthol.

Zicam continues to label its nasal products as "clinically-proven," although their website does not offer links to any clinical studies other than for zinc-based products. Nasal Zicam options were once formulated with zinc as the active ingredient, with the idea that they worked as the oral products do. But studies showed that the application of zinc to nasal passages may cause irreversible side effects, including the loss of smell.

As such, in June , the U. Food and Drug Administration FDA warned consumers not to use Zicam nasal spray or gel swabs because they may cause a permanent loss of the sense of smell. As a result, Zicam nasal products were reformulated to no longer contain zinc. The new nasal Zicam formulations became available in and are sold today. According to the manufacturer, Zicam can be used by adults and children 12 and over.

Children under 12 should only use Zicam under the direction of a pediatrician or family healthcare provider. The manufacturer does not state what risks Zicam poses to younger children. Generally speaking, all homeopathic products should only be used in adults or children after consultation with a qualified health professional.

These products are not stringently regulated by the FDA and should be avoided in children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers due to the lack of safety research. Homeopathic products are minimally regulated as dietary supplements and do not undergo the same safety and efficacy testing as prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The oral formulations that contain zinc can be taken every three hours. The manufacturer recommends not taking these products on an empty stomach, but also refraining from food or drink for 15 minutes after use.

Also, avoid citrus foods or drinks for at least 30 minutes. Zicam Cold Remedy can be given as a nasal spray or a nasal swab :. Both formulations can be used every four hours until symptoms resolve.

Given some supportive research regarding zinc and colds, using oral Zicam products may help. While you may hear some anecdotal support for the use of nasal Zicam products, research to support their effectiveness in treating colds is lacking. Regardless of how you opt to ease your cold symptoms , check in with your healthcare provider if you are self-treating but not getting better.

Looking to avoid getting the flu? Our free guide has everything you need to stay healthy this season. Sign up and get yours today. Hemila H. Zinc lozenges and the common cold: a meta-analysis comparing zinc acetate and zinc gluconate, and the role of zinc dosage. JRSM Open.

Rao G, Rowland K. PURLs: Zinc for the common cold--not if, but when. J Fam Pract. Mechanistic studies of the toxicity of zinc gluconate in the olfactory neuronal cell line Odora.

Toxicol In Vitro. Kuehn BM. Zicam update. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. What's unclear about the Zicam products is how much, if any, zinc they actually contain.

That's because they are marketed as homeopathic remedies, which typically contain little to no actual active ingredient. As I've explained in detail in my earlier blog entitled "Homeopathy is a scam! The theory is that "like treats like" but only when present in vanishingly small amounts. Typical homeopathic remedies are diluted to a point where essentially none of the original material is still present.

But in the case of the Zicam products the dilution factor is only 2X, which means that the original material was diluted to the level of 1 part in one hundred, meaning that it's still quite detectable. The unproven principles of homeopathy say that the more diluted something is, the more effective and they are often diluted to 1 part in a million 6X or much lower X or more.

One popular influenza remedy called Oscillococcinum is actually C, which means that it was diluted times, each at a fold dilution that's one part taken to a zeros-fold dilution. This may be why only some people have developed loss of smell from the Zicam products and not everyone who has used them. The unfortunate few may have been especially sensitive to the effects of zinc.

If the label is to be believed, Zicam does contain a very small amount of zinc one part in parts of whatever the diluent is. In an accompanying warning letter to Matrixx, the FDA said that they had received "more than reports of anosmia. The FDA has requested that Matrixx immediately submit all such reports to the agency. In addition, the FDA warned Matrixx that it was selling its products illegally because they are actually "drugs" according to the regulatory definition of a drug, which is a product "intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease.

On receipt of the warning letter, Matrixx voluntarily recalled its products although they said in a press release that "Matrixx Initiatives stands behind the science of its products and its belief that there is no causal link between its Zicam Cold Remedy intranasal gel products and anosmia. You might wonder how Matrixx was allowed to market its product in the first place as well as all the other homeopathic remedies clogging the shelves?

In fact, even when the FDA determines there's a safety problem, as it did with Zicam, it doesn't use the enforcement discretion set forth in the guideline. Instead, it declares that the product is actually a "drug" and forces the company to withdraw it from the market and then either prove it's safe and effective, with a new drug application, or else never market it again. This is one of the reasons both homeopathic remedies and nutritional supplements, like herbs, vitamins and minerals, can be quite dangerous: They have not undergone any safety or efficacy testing.

With all such products, you are at the mercy of the manufacturers and particularly the marketers who concoct these formulations and then sell them to an unsuspecting public. You basically have no idea what you are buying, whether it is either safe or effective, or bears any relationship whatsoever to the claims made on the label or in advertising.