*** Zicam Cold Sore Gel Swabs no longer for sale ***

Zicam is a series of branded over-the-counter homeopathic products to cure allergy and cold. The products have Zincum Gloconicum (Zinc) as their basic ingredient; however, the company has introduced non-zinc versions of the products as well. The product is said to shorten the severity and duration of common cold and comes in the forms of nasal sprays and swabs. The product was invented by Charles B. Hensley and Robert S. Davidson in mid 1990s and is being sold and produced by Zicam LLC.

Online Retailer Reviews

Amazon

There is a wide range of products available, all having different reviews. While there were some customers who were happy with the results of the product and how it relieved their congestion from the cold, there were some reviews that stated the contrary. There were complaints about poor taste (for chewable tablets), extreme drowsiness, loss of smell and stomach reactions. However, the products (combined) received an average score of 4 out of 5 approximately.

Walgreens

There were very few reviews by customers on the website. Those who did rate the product gave it 5 stars and stated that they didn’t experience any side effects of the products and that it worked perfectly for them. This made them believe that the law suits which led to the recalling of product are not true. However, a few customers did complain of the bad taste of a few products.

Drugstore.com

Most of the consumers reported that they liked the nasal spray and swabs better. However, these products have now been discontinued following the law suits by many people who claimed that the products led to a permanent loss of smelling and tasting senses. Common complaints included long lasting bad taste and non-effectiveness. A few customers reported that the product tastes bad but does the job. There were also a few instances where the customers stated that they were happy with the taste and the results of the products.

CVS

There was only 1 customer review on the website. The customer gave the product 5 stars and stated that it is the best option available to relive nasal congestion.

Article Reviews

Consumer Affairs

The website compiled reviews of the customers and found that 85% of the customers gave the product a poor rating (1 and 2 stars). All of these customers reported of the side effects of the products such as loss of taste and loss of smell, for which the company was sued by a number of people in 2009. The website does not have an article stating their opinion on the product. However, they have posted a few  articles about the law suit filed against Zicam and the recalled products. Continued below….

New York Times

New York times also reported the instances of side effects reported by people. It was stated that the Food and Drug Administration received 130 reports from people who had lost their sense of smell and taste due to the product. The newspaper warned the readers against the use of Zicam’s product as a cold remedy. The newspaper also reported when the Supreme Court ruled against Zicam on the legal cases filed for which the company had to pay approximately $12 million in damages.