Nasal Spray Users Suing Over Alleged Loss of Smell

Nine people have sued the manufacturer of a nasal spray, alleging that it caused them to permanently lose their sense of smell.

The plaintiffs, who used the nasal spray version of the cold remedy Cold-Eeze, filed the suit against Doylestown-based Quigley Corp. on Thursday. They are demanding unspecified damages for medical costs, pain and suffering.

A Quigley spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit Friday, saying the company had not seen it.

The nasal spray contains zinc gluconate, which has been shown to be "toxic to the olfactory epithelium, the membrane essential for smell," the lawsuit said.

"Plaintiffs can no longer enjoy the smell of fresh air, of newly cut grass, of a bouquet of flowers, of the taste of a meal," the lawsuit said.