FDA Says Homeopathic Cure Can Cause Loss of Smell

Hugh Pickens writes "The FDA has advised consumers to stop using Matrixx Initiatives' Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel marketed over-the-counter as a cold remedy because it is associated with the loss of sense of smell (anosmia) that may be long-lasting or permanent. The FDA says about 130 consumers have reported a loss of smell after using the homeopathic cure containing zinc, an ingredient scientists say may damage nerves in the nose needed for smell and health officials say they have asked Matrixx executives to turn over more than 800 consumer complaints concerning lost smell that the company has on file. 'Loss of the sense of smell is potentially life-threatening and may be permanent,' said Dr. Charles Lee. 'People without the sense of smell may not be able to detect life-dangerous situations, such as gas leaks or something burning in the house.' The FDA said the remedy was never formally approved because it is part of a small group of remedies known as homeopathic products that are not required to undergo federal review before launching. The global market for homeopathic drugs is about $200 million per year, according to the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists. Matrixx has settled hundreds of lawsuits connected with Zicam in recent years, but says it 'will seek a meeting with the FDA to vigorously defend its scientific data, developed during more than 10 years of experience with the products, demonstrating their safety.'"

Comments

Re:Pull it off the market

[geekboy642]

Are you genuinely claiming to be too stupid to tell the difference between a curative and a vice? Here's a hint, on the tobacco label, there's generally a warning saying "Tobacco will kill you". On this zinc "medicine", there's no warning label saying "Warning: will permanently disfigure you", and the manufacturer peddles it as being both safe and effective.

Re:There is more to it than meets the eye

[laughingcoyote]

If you want to convince us that homeopathic medicines work, than by all means, put one of them through a rigorous, controlled clinical trial. (Not one anecdotal bit that may or may not be true and if it is may or may not be coincidental.) Tell one group they're getting the homeopathic "medicine" and give that to them. Tell the other group that's what they're getting and give them a placebo. Compare the results. That's how accurate results are obtained about the effectiveness of an actual drug against the placebo effect.

If you find significantly better results in the side that took the "medicine" than in those who took the placebo, and those results prove to be repeatable, you may have yourself a case. But until someone is confident enough in the method to submit it to rigorous, controlled testing, rather than "It worked this time! Really! Don't be so closed minded!", it's just quackery preying on the gullible.

When proponents of something are quick to tout its benefits and quick to ridicule its critics, but even quicker to duck rigorous testing that would show for sure if it really works or not, I become very closed minded very quickly. I've never taken Zicam, so apparently I can still smell bullshit just fine. If you're that confident in it, put it up for FDA approval.

Re:It's not really homeopathic

[assert(0)]

Randomized controlled trials is the only way to tell if it "*really* works". Anecdotes are worthless in evaluating (alleged) cures. For every useless substance there is, you *will* find users who "used to be skeptics" but now "swear by them", falsely convinced they "*really* work". Because of post hoc ergo propter hoc, spontaneous remission, false diagnosis, placebo effect, confirmation bias and a slew of other fallacies.

Evangelists like yourself and peers with poorly developed critical thinking skills (ie. most humans) are the exact reason these "cures" are still around - despite having no biological plausibility and negative RCT results against them.