After hearing (and blogging) about the side effects of Zicam yesterday, I was curious to see what today's headlines were. As I checked GoogleNews, one immediately caught my eye: AP IMPACT: Zicam not alone in side effects by Jeff Dunn.
In his article, Dunn explains that Matrixx was able to sell Zicam sans FDA approval because it is labeled "homeopathic" (the drugs in homeopathic remedies appear in doses so small that they do not require approval from the FDA).
As it turns out, Zicam is not the only homeopathic remedy that has serious and potentially life-altering side effects. According to Dunn, "an Associated Press analysis of the Food and Drug Administration's side effect reports found that more than 800 homeopathic ingredients were potentially implicated in health problems last year. Complains ranged from vomiting to attempted suicide." Interestingly, although they don't require FDA approval, homeopathic remedies have possessed the same legal status as conventional drugs since 1938.
Yet, perhaps the most interesting bit of information that come from Dunn's article is that this isn't the first time that Matrixx has been investigated by a government agency for the ways in which it markets Zicam, nor is it the first time that the company has faced a bevy of customer complaints due to side effects. Zicam was previously investigated by the FTC and Matrixx settled over 300 consumer lawsuits in 2006 for $12 million.
If you have a moment, read Dunn's article - it's well worth it.
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