Zicam is becoming an example of the dangers of mass-marketing unproven homeopathic remedies.

As MedPage Today reports, the FDA has warned patients to stop using Zicam, as the product can lead to anosmia, or loss of the sense of smell.

This isn’t a new claim, since, “In 2006, the company paid $12 million to settle 340 lawsuits brought by consumers who claimed the zinc nasal gel adversely affected their sense of smell.”

Amy Tuteur is more blunt about the Zicam experience, writing in her blog that, “You’ve got to hand it to the folks at Matrixx Initiatives [the makers of Zicam]. They managed to convince millions of Americans to paint the inside of their noses and throats with a toxic heavy metal that is ineffective in its stated benefit and destroys the nerves responsible for the sense of smell.”

It’s all the more reason why the FDA should step in a regulate these homeopathic products that can be potentially dangerous.