Zicam is a commercially available gel swab that contains zinc gluconate. It is prescribed by homeopathic professionals as a cure for cold sores. A package of 10 swabs costs anywhere from $14-18.

Zicam Side Effects

Zicam is produced by Matrixx Initiatives Incorporated, which credits Zicam with 70% of its sales. Recently, Matrixx Initiatives settled a lawsuit that involved consumer complaints about its Zicam nasal gel. The gel was causing nasal problems in patients due to zinc gluconate, which some doctors found was leading to loss of the sense of smell, or anosmia. This lawsuit involved the nasally-delivered zinc gluconate,
so the active ingredient was working against within the nasal cavity, and not simply the skin surface. There are still lawsuits pending regarding Zicam, but what is significant is that the Zicam in question is an intranasal gel, and not the gel swab that is used on the skin surface to treat cold sores. Zicam is a generic name for a series of products, all of which have to do with treating colds.

Zicam Complaints

Zicam has therefore been covered widely in the press and online. Email about the dangers of using Zicam has been spreading for years, but they have been deemed as outdated. As a result, doctors often warn that users should always do research before contributing to the spread of the email, as well as in simply believing outright what emails say, regardless of the therapeutics in question. The FDA has also warned against the intranasal gel, and not the gel swab; hence, doctors are still free to recommend it for treating cold sores.

Zicam Online

Online, there are facts and narratives on the continuing lawsuits against Matrixx Pharmaceuticals. This can help users track the progress of the ongoing lawsuit involving the intranasal Zicam. On social networks, Zicam is available with its own official page on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/Zicam, where it has received over 82,000 likes. It also has its own Google+ Account, where it is listed as Zicam Shorten Your Cold. Zicam is also on Instagram where it currently has 33 followers.

Zicam Ingredients

The active ingredients in Zicam include zinc aceticum and zincum gluconicum, both of which are meant to shorten the stay of viruses on your skin.

Does Zicam Work?

The zinc in the gel can ease the severity of the symptoms of cold sores, which include pain, tingling, itching, and blistering. Zinc has long been used as a homeopathic therapy for cold sores. Zicam should be effective for cold sores and can treat them within 1-2 days. The Zicam gel swab is deemed safe for use as long as the gel does not touch the eyes. It can cause irritation and should be washed off immediately.

Zicam Reviews

Reviews for Zicam have been positive so far. Although the sales suffered because of the lawsuit, the Zicam gel swab has been found to be effective against cold sores, and reviewers have written about how it can work fast to relieve the pain that cold sores bring. Reviewers have also found it to be an inexpensive alternative to other creams, tablets, and topical applications.