Man Sues Maker of Zicam Over Loss of Smell and Taste

A New York man who claims he permanently lost his sense of smell and taste is suing the maker of Zicam Cold Remedy Spray for $75 million.

Paul Buck Jr. worked as the director of operations for an organization called Art Food LLC at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In his lawsuit, Buck claims he relied on his sense of smell and taste for his job. He claims he used Zicam nasal spray from 2006 to 2009, and now suffers from anosmia, a condition in which a person can longer smell and taste.

Buck’s lawsuit states that Matrixx Initiatives, the company that manufactures Zicam, knew or should have known about studies that proved products containing zinc ions can cause permanent anosmia. The lawsuit says that Matrixx labeled the product in a way that lures consumers into using the spray, putting phrases such as “doctor recommended,” “safe and effective,” and a “patented homeopathic” remedy on the box.

Last summer the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning for all consumers to stop using Zicam nasal products immediately after it received more than 130 reports of anosmia.