Because Matrixx settled the suit, and therefore claims no admission of liability, the product remains on the market .. without a consumer warning. Additionally, think about this for a minute. Zicam's main ingredient is Zinc. Zinc is used to destroy smell in laboratory animals and can be toxic to the sense of smell in people. Also, the spray that I initially purchased did not have this "new and improved" "control tip sprayer". Matrixx claims the original nozzle did not produce enough momentum to reach the higher part of the nose. BULLSHIT. When I primed the bottle, that fucking nozzle shot liquid clear across the room. Matrixx also claims the new nozzle design was NOT a reaction to the multitude of lawsuits filed against them. They claim the new method of dispensing was in the works since 2001. The introduction of the new "control tip sprayer" in 2006, however, did not include removing the older bottles from store shelves. Those were left in stores for the purchase and use by .. yours truly.

And here's the thing that ticks me off the most. Because Zicam is considered "homeopathic", it is not subject to safety testing and manufacturing regulations and guidelines. Zicam is NOT an FDA-regulated product.   No regulatory oversight. Nothing. And because they settled the lawsuit and claim no admission of liability .. no warning labels are required.

For months I underwent many different tests, spent thousands of dollars on Doctor visits, MRI's, CAT scans, was poked, prodded, had blood taken ... all without any evidence of any underlying tumors or other possible causes of the problem. I went to an ENT who .. while taking my medical history .. was not happy at all when I told her I had used Zicam nasal spray to treat a cold. In her words ... I was screwed. The ENT advised me to get an attorney. I shit you not. The ENT told me that there was a slim chance that the nerves in my nasal cavity might repair themselves somewhat. She told me that by the end of this year, whatever I could smell would be it. End of story. For the rest of my life.

I also found out that a colleague of mine had also lost his sense of smell after using Zicam years ago. He was so distraught over it, he actually never told anyone about it. I take the absolute opposite tactic. I'm telling everyone .. and now he is, too. We've had many long conversations about how our lives have changed. We both share a love of wine and wine tasting .. that's something we can no longer enjoy. Because smell is tied directly into taste, we both have difficulty enjoying cooking or dining in general. Subtle flavors are lost to us. For that matter, our cars could be leaking gasoline, and we would never know. I could have a gas leak at home, and I would never know. I could be burning something in the oven, and I would probably never know. It's more than just a quality of life issue, it's a life safety issue.

I have been fortunate. I've regained some sense of smell, and I no longer have a problem with phantom odors. I can taste most tomato-based sauces, but I can't tell the difference between a cheddar cheese and a swiss cheese. I can sort of taste milk chocolate, but not dark chocolate. I can taste vanilla, usually. I can't tell chicken from pork, but I can tell the difference between steak and chicken .. most of the time. I can sort of taste peanut butter, but not peanuts. I can't tell the difference in taste between walnuts and pecans .. which is bad because I'm allergic to walnuts. So, for me, if my tongue starts to tingle, I know I'm eating walnuts. The sad thing is, I think I'm smelling and tasting these things, but I'm really not sure. Since memory is so closely tied to smell, for all I know I'm not smelling or tasting correctly.

Speaking of memory, I doubt I'll ever have a smell take me back to a nostalgic memory. I've noticed that I still can't smell pine trees. This being the holiday season, I don't get that sense of comfort from a childhood memory when I get a whiff of a Christmas tree. At Thanksgiving, I couldn't smell the food cooking. Think about all the memories that would bring up for you. On the up side, when someone says "What is that foul odor?" I usually don't know what the hell they are talking about. I'd trade the occasional cringe-worthy stink for the ability to smell chocolate chip cookies baking.
 

I used to tell people that I believed it was only the nasal spray that was harmful, but I have since read that there are also complaints regarding the nasal gel swabs. Personally, I don't care if Matrixx invents the cure to the common cold, I will never, EVER, use another Zicam product.

And as if all of that weren't enough to make your skin crawl, take a look at this article on The Men Behind Zicam.

Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw.

My holiday wish for you is that you never, ever have to go through this. Zicam is evil. Don't use it. Ever. It's not worth the risk.