How Can I Help Destroy Zycam

Factual Questions
1

Ok, this is really a GQ I think.

For those of you not familiar with the advertisements, there is a spot running on TV about the new wonder product Zycam, which will cure the common cold. It has exactly the same look and feel as most any drug commercial, and there is only a passing mention (maybe it is only text on the close-up of the bottle) that identifies this product as Homeopathic, and thus a complete sham (see http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000225.html for some background on homeopathy).

The commercials claim that Zycam is superior than other remedies because it treats the cold itself. This is a complete falsehood. Zycam is water.

So, back to my GQ. What is the best tactic to destroy Zycam? I don’t know why I take this one particular assault against truth so personally but I happen to do so. Should I start a non-profit that collects money and attempts to educate people about the absurdness of homeopathy? Most people don’t even realize how the stuff is purported to work, simple education would probably devastate their sales. Better yet, is there some way to get the government to pay for the education?

2

First off, it is ‘Zicam’, not ‘Zycam’.

Second, according to the makers of Zicam, the ‘active ingredient’ is “Zincum Gluconicum contained in Zinullose”.

Dunno if it works or not, but it isn’t ‘just water’.

3

You could check this site out first: http://www.quackwatch.org/

4

This subject came up on the James Randi board, and someone wrote to the company asking for clarification. The response was a little soft-headed, but basically said that the active ingredient is diluted to a “2X” dilution. This is homeopathic-speak for a 1% solution (diluted to 10:1, twice). So they’re borrowing a bit of the terminology from homeopathy, without actually subscribing to its principles. Zinullose does not cause sniffles in larger amounts, so the “law of similars” isn’t called on, and their dilution contains an astronomically greater content of the active ingredient. They’re apparently just trying to make money off people’s ignorance that homeopathy is anti-science.

The other thing that bothers me about this product is whether Zinc actuall works for helping you recover from a cold faster. Cecil wrote a column on this, and I would venture that more testing since this column hasn’t clarified matters.

5

Zicam is well… not water, at least. It has the consistency of hair gel.

I tried it out last week when I was down with a cold.** I felt better** after using. Whether it was actually working, or it was just my mind, I felt better and breathed easier.

6

One “remedy” for quack products is to lobby for a stronger F.D.A. that will have the power to crack down on companies that promote phony cures (currently there’s an enormous loophole for products classified as “supplements”).

If there are no controlled studies supporting the efficacy of this product, it is an unfounded and unsupported remedy, no matter how many personal testimonials can be solicited on its behalf.

7

I thought it was legit because the big flashy ads made it seem like it came from a serious pharmaceutical company which had done a ton of clinical studies.

I bought some and tried it. It burned my nostrils. I felt like my cold went away faster that usual, but of course I have no way of knowing what this particular cold would have done without the medicine. So who knows.

I mentioned it to my doctor and he rolled his eyes. And he’s not hostile towards alternative medicines. So I’m thinking maybe this stuff needs to go into the trash.

8

I’ve used it with some success.

Mor einfo here

9

The article at the MSNBC site had some good info about a more recent, larger scale test that they did, showing good results. Still, there are reasons to be skeptical:

  1. The study was funded by Zicam. This is a small objection, since it seems that it was done independently and doubly blinded. Also, it was just one large study.

  2. The product’s claims of being homeopathic really raise red flags about their honesty. The thread at the James Randi site has yet another response received from the Zicam company, which I quote:

Does anyone know whether this has been approved by the FDA, as most remedies must be, or did they jump on the homeopathic bandwagon so that they can market the product using the homeopathic loophole in the law? Would that allow them to make specific claims as to its effectiveness? This might be the real reason that they’re claiming it’s homeopathic - that they can market their product without showing the FDA that it’s safe and effective.

10

So it’s a real drug that’s being falsely marketed as homeopathic because they think people will be more likely to accept it???

If anyone needs me, I’ll be over here in the corner, weeping for society.

11

How do you help destroy it?

Simple- Don’t buy it. Tell your friends not to buy it. Ask them to tell their friends not to buy it. Vote with your money.

I’m not going to go into a libertarian rant regarding the impropriety of increasing the power of the FDA. This does not appear to be the proper area of the SDMB for that. Just suffice to say that in my opinion, this is not a proper role for governmental authority.

12

I’m also not in favor of the government telling us which drugs we can buy. BUT, as long as we have such as system and people’s expectations are that the things they’re buying have been shown to be safe and effective, it bothers me that this company has gone around the system to have their product approved as homeopathic. There is this glaring, inappropriate loophole in the law which Zicam has exploited. The product might actually work (I have my doubts), but since I so strongly disapprove of their marketing, I probably won’t buy it.