Zicam - Have you had side effects?

[robinb]

I have heard a lot of good things about Zicam so I bought a package of the nasal gels and took a couple of doses. THEN I thought to look into the medicine sooner and WOWZA! Some people have had some nasty side effects like loss of smell and loss of taste. I usually lose me sense of smell/taste when I have a cold but it comes back.

I am right at the start of my cold so I can still smell things, etc and I didn't have any burning in my nose. But still ... I LIKE to taste my food and I don't want to lose that.

So, have you had any bad side effects from Zicam?

 

[RitaZ.]

I have heard a lot of good things about Zicam so I bought a package of the nasal gels and took a couple of doses. THEN I thought to look into the medicine sooner and WOWZA! Some people have had some nasty side effects like loss of smell and loss of taste. I usually lose me sense of smell/taste when I have a cold but it comes back.

I am right at the start of my cold so I can still smell things, etc and I didn't have any burning in my nose. But still ... I LIKE to taste my food and I don't want to lose that.

So, have you had any bad side effects from Zicam?

I have used it many times and never had any negative side effects. I have used the ones that melt in your mouth, which do leave a funny taste in your mouth for a short time.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I've had no problems, and did feel it helped my cold (but I bought the melt-away tablets, not the gels.)

 

[ZachnElli]

I thought they had to stop selling the specific Zicam that caused loss of taste and smell?

 

[HelenePA]

I only used it once but no side effects.. I also loose my taste while sick. Takes about a month to come back.

 

[Christine]

I've used it many times with no real side effects.

I do think my sense of taste gets altered temporarily (while I using it) but it always comes right back when I stop. I get the same effect from the Cold-Ease Zinc drops.

I do believe that some of the problems people had with the smell issues are due to the improper use of Zicam. Originally, the gel came in a squirt-type bottle (like a nasal spray). I believe that people are programmed to snort the stuff and they put it too far up in the nose. Zicam is meant to be applied just into the lower portion of the nose and not high up like Afrin. If you follow the directions, I think you'll have no problems. The swabs are sort of a better/safer way to apply it.

I think Zicam works well when you TRULY have a cold caused by the rhinovirus. If you have some other sort of respiratory virus that seems like a cold (but is not rhinovirus), it will not work against those. It only claims to work against Rhinovirus.

 

[Jsme]

I swear by them. They are the best. The trick though is using them upon first signs of cold. I also swear by the Emergen-C packages. If you combine both with some cold medicine you are set.

 

[robinb]

*bumping* for the morning crowd.

I have continued to use the gel swabs and I make sure to only use them as directed: no more than 1/4 inch inside the nostril and NO sniffing. My sense of smell is still around, but I was awake off and on all night. Sudafed has the same side-effect with me ... I can't take it any later than 6:00 pm or I'll be awake all night.

I *am* feeling better this morning, so maybe the Zicam is working.

 

[CookieDiva]

Hi Robin!

I swear by Zicam, but after losing (temporarily) my sense of smell after using it a couple of years ago, I have switched to their RapidMelts and now I use their mouth spray.

We have a pharmacist in our family and she told me that it has been documented that the nasal gel (the spray or swabs) can cause you to lose your sense of smell, so she now only recommends the dosing methods that do not use the nose.

I have never had a problem with losing my sense of taste - except for when my nose is so stuffed up that I can't smell anything.

Good Luck! Hope that you get your cold stopped or shortened.