I used to megadose vitamin c. Now, when I feel a cold coming I get out the Zicam and it really does help get rid of the the bug. I've used the swabs (which I like the best), the throat spray and the nasal spray and have been happy with them all.

Tried this one time. It didn't work, and it will be the last time.

I'm not too impressed with zicam.I was right on the ball this time. I was shooting the gel into my nose at the first hint of a cold. That was Wednesday, today is Sunday morning and my cold is going strong. This is the third time i've used zicam on a cold. The first two times I didn't notice any difference, though I wanted to. I thought I need to catch it sooner, to start with the zicam as soon as I felt a cold coming on. This time I was on it very early and very often with the zicam, and im still taking it. I don't notice much difference. Maybe a slight reduction in severity, but nothing major.

So how do you know how a cold WOULD have been if you hadn't used something? Well, after testing with three different colds over the past 2.5 years, I have this to say: It works, and it works really well, but you MUST start early in the cold. After three colds that people I knew gave me--which I confirmed by only counting those that developed soon after spending extended time or being in close proximity to someone with a cold (and I only counted those that had the same onset symptoms and only if within a week of spending a lot of time with the sick person)--I can confirm that my cold as compared to theirs was about 3 or 4 days shorter on average. I also only compared to people similar to me--younger healthy adults who don't smoke. So I didn't count the cold my smoker-dad gave me because that would be an unfair comparison. I also tested with myself; ie: I would take the Zicam gel regularly, and then stop. Invariably, the cold would get worse within about 8 hours of stopping. And I don't believe it is placebo effect because I didn't believe the stuff worked in the first place. I'm a biologist at heart, if there isn't a tangible change caused by something, I don't just accept that it has some effect unless I can test it and duplicate it. In closing, I always keep a bottle of the Liquid Nasal Gel. It is cheaper than the swabs because you get so much more, and it doesn't taste crap like the oral versions. DO NOT EVER EVER BUY THE STRAWBERRY CHEW. IT TASTES AWWWFUL. DREADFUL! TERRRIFYINGLY BAD!!!!

Zicam is a rare product. It does what it was designed to do, Knock out your cold! I use the Cherry Rapid Melts. It is a good choice for those who are nervous about using nasal remedies considering all the issues that are going on about it right now. If you have the flu, Zicam cold remedy will not work. You will need to buy the severe cold/flu Zicam for it to be effective. Please read and follow the directions carefully. Do not eat or drink anything 30 minutes after you take Zicam. Let the Zinc work into your blood stream. There are side effects though rare: Slight Nausea, headache & dizzyness. This can be avoided if you have something to eat and drink prior to taking Zicam. If you take Zicam at the slightest sign of being sick it will work 98% of the time. If you take it after taking flu shots (as some said) and the cold/flu is in full effect, you can still take it, but please make sure you read the box and you buy the right Zicam for the symptoms you are having. The people that it did not work on either have severe allergies and did not use the right Zicam product and or did not take it in time. You have to act fast! Always remember you are trying to beat the cold to the chase.

I think Zicam is amazing. I used to get sinus infections several times per year - every cold morphed into a sinus infection. Antibiotics, after 8 straight years of use, were becoming increasingly less effective. But using Zicam within the first day or two of cold symptoms, and I feel better immediately. If I don't happen to catch the cold right away, Zicam seems to make the symptoms bearable (no time off work), and the cold eases and does NOT progress to a bad sinus infection. That's pretty much all I ask.

I used Ziacam Rapid Melts every three hours as directed and feel so much better. I love Ziacam! It really works! Just put the tablet on your tougne, it dissolves within seconds and you feel better. Ziacam really works.

I started getting a cold on Monday,started Zicam that day. On Tuesday I started feeling like I was getting a yeast infection, well I was. I'm 50 years old and haven't been in a sexual relationship in a while. In my younger years, I was prone to yeast infections, I haven't had one in years. It's now Friday and this infection is just starting to subside. Yes Zicam worked for me, it gave me a raging yeast infection which help me to totally forget my cold. Have any other women experienced this with Zicam?

The most effective cold remedy I have ever used. It stops a cold in its tracks if you use it at first symptoms. If you're too late, Zicam still cuts the cold short. I use the swabs. I think the loss of smell accusations are just another way for lawyers to make money.

I've heard about Zicam and friends have urged me to try it in the past but I never did. Well on saturday I started feeling an itchy throat while I was working. Got home late so went to bed, woke up 6 am Sunday morning and definitely knew a cold was coming. I hardly get a cold more than once a year but I just had one two months ago so I got out of bed and ran up to CVS and bought the zicam swabs. Applied one right there in my car, went home and went to bed. Been applying them every four hours as directed and I can definitely say that this stuff works. Instead of the cold getting worse, it's going away. Now that I know it really works I'll keep some in the med cabinet so I can hit the cold at that first scratch in the back of my nose. Give it a try but don't expect miracles if you've had a cold for three days. Nail it at the the first signs and you will be pleased with the results.

Be careful. I use Zicam and just found out about several lawsuits about losing your sense of smell or taste. As usual, judget the information for yourself and google it. All the best, Rob

My boss RAVES about Zicam. Tells everyone about it who comes into the salon with any type of cold symptom. I bought some to keep on hand "just in case." I have very severe allergies and complications, and all my "colds" seen to turn into bronchitus. Yesterday I woke up with a sore throat, gargled with salt water and felt crappier throughout the day. Near bed time, I remembered I had the Zicam Swabs. Put it in my nose and actually felt better in a very short time. I was able to go to work the next day, although tired, felt much better, not sickly. I have been sneezing today, but still feel nothing like I normally would with a cold. I will continue keeping Zicam around!!! TRY IT!

I tried the oral spray and I have no idea if it works because it made me gag so much I never tried it again. If you are considering it, try the nasal spray or something because the oral spray will only make you sick in a whole new way.

My boyfriends mother is a nurse at mass general hospital. She said all the nurses rave about zicam. I was skeptiacal becuase a box of chewables costs about $12.00, but she gave me a few to try. After the first one I felt better within 15 minutes! my nose cleared up, eyes stopped watering, and I felt normal without the cloudiness that some medications leave you with! I LOVE ZICAM!

Horrible, I bought it and it doesn't work at all. Stupid zicam, i see no difference, seems almost like it does the opposite of what its supposed to do... well if you don't belive me, go ahead spend your money and get nothing out of it... :(

I love Zicam, it does work and I am a HUGE skeptic but this stuff really does work. Now for the people who notice a burning sensation you are snorting it like it's cocaine! Your supposed to squirt it in your nose and not let it drip back, no snorting allowed. RED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND YOU WOULD KNOW THAT. Also asprin is not a suppository for those people.

I've read everyone elses comments. I just bought Zicam Oral and I'm hoping it works. I did sneeze a little after I sprayed it and so far, I don't feel any different. We'll see a little bit later.

Awesome! I can't believe that Zicam doesn't get more press. I have been using it on my colds for several years now with outstanding results. However, I feel that it is important to start hitting it hard at the very first sign of a cold. In fact, if one of my kids has a cold, I often use Zicam on myself to help prevent catching it. I am a big fan of the nasal spray, although I also use the chewables because my colds always start with a sore throat, so it just seems to make sense. I tell everyone I know about the product.

ZiCam works! The wife and I both use it. We both have somewhat compromised immune systems due to years of allergies, so have high susceptibility to colds/flu. Using the zinc nasal swabs has been a real help. Take it at the FIRST SIGN of "itch in the back of the nose", and you may only need one application. To those here who noted problems--remember---"colds" are caused by a number of different viruses, so even zinc may not work for all of them, but I find that it has worked probably 9 out of 10 times I've used it.

I used this product in March 2005 and within 30 days my ability to smell and taste has been affected. Everything that I come in contact with that has an odor smells like a waste dump. Likewise, everything that I taste has a similar horrifying result. There are several people who have filed lawsuits against the manufactures of the drug. BEFORE you use it make sure you have all of the facts! What has happended to me and thousands of others in the U.S. is something that I would not wish on my enemies.

My colds typically lasted 1-2 weeks and I got 2-3 colds per year. I tried Vitamin C, lozenges and some of the OTC cold remedies without success. I was a non-believer but I tried Zicam based on the USA Today article and my colds have not lasted more than two days or the past three years. I also pushed Zicam on my son and my wife who are also now saved. I am a true disciple of ZiCam. I started out with the spray which caused me to sneeze for about 5 minutes (a samll price to pay.) I switched to the swabs which are a lot more convenient to use, store at different work, travel kit, home and offer to friends when they are coming down with a cold. Zicam was a godsend.

I work as a radio announcer, we share equipment,microphones and close quarters. I also have two school aged kids, so I usually feel like a compulsive handwasher during cold season! I get sinus infections with EVERY stuffy nose, and the bronchial crap too... two other announcers, and a friend who is a paramedic kept telling me to at least TRY Zicam, i thought it was pricey, but OH MY!!! absolutely worth every single penny to me... it has been incredible at kicking out a cold FAST. My kids are not as diligent about using it every four hours,but they are still feeling better in 2 days (three days at the most).... I tell everyone who sounds like they are getting a cold about it... severe cold formula works great if the cold is already taken hold. I even tell strangers about it at the store if I notice they are buying cold products. Good stuff!

I have used various zinc-based cold remedies, including some Zicam products, for 6-7 years. They have all worked pretty darn well. Lately I have been using the Zicam quick-dissolving lozenges. I take one at the first sign that I might be getting a cold and I usually don't even have to take a second one. (Don't eat or drink anything for 1/2 hour or so after you take it, since the zinc is vaporizing in your nose and mouth.) I have also used the Zicam gel spray on my young children. They won't let me stick anything in their noses, so I give them a tiny squirt while they're sleeping. It always gets rid of their colds within a couple of days. Every couple of years I get a cold that won't go away, but I figure those were a different kind of cold. One more thing, somebody had mentioned nausea. Oral zinc products can make you nauseous when taken on an empty stomach. Just eat something or drink some milk before you take it.

I'd do commercials for this product. I use in conjuction with Echinacea and Vit. C at the first signs of a cold. Haven't had a full blown cold in 5 years.

i thought-no way 'wont work guess what? it worked

I was very skeptical but figured a few bucks wagered on anything that could help a cold would be worth it. I hate colds. The first time I tried it, I had the cold for a day or two before I got Zicam. The experience was Ok but not great. Next time, I was ready with the stuff ahead of time and started taking it at the first sign of the cold. Symptoms were very minor. Third time I tried it, my wife had a very severe cold with subsequent cough. Even with all the hand washing I could do and avoiding her like the plague, I eventually started getting the initial cold symptoms and was feeling pretty resigned to suffering through the same cold she had. Worse yet I was on vacation! I took the first dose of Zicam within an hour or so of the first signs and by morning, symptoms were virtually gone. I am no longer a skeptic!

This was my first time using Zicam. I read a few items about the nasal spray that indicated in a very small percentage of users had loss of smell after use, so I used the oral mist. Used it first day of my symptoms, and after two days, sore throat is better and symptoms are no worse. I was pretty confident I was on my way to get a cold and this seems to have stopped it from getting any worse, and appears its only going to last for 2 - 3 days.

Have used with great success for three seasons of colds. The key is to use it at the first sign of a cold and to keep using it until symptoms disappear. Last time I got out of bed at 3am to use because I felt the start of a sore throat. It worked. am

I woke up with a scratchy throat this morning. There has been a cold going around my office at work that starts this way, so I figure I have it. I was feeling pretty lousy on my way to work, sore throat, sniffles, headache, so I stopped and got the Zicam Oral Mist. I followed the directions and after two doses I am already feeling a little better. I am amazed that this stuff works so well.

I've been using Zicam for over 2 years. I've used it to defeat 4 colds and only once did it not appear to work. However, I have often missed spraying it so it could also be my fault. I'm a real skeptical type so if it works on someone like me it probably will work on you.

snake oil? I thought so.. till I bought it. Skeptical.. Of course, Almost $10 for .5 FL Oz nasal spray?? what a rip off!! Well.. when compared to how much is spent on other products that simply mute cold effects or treat symptoms, Zicam stands out above the rest. With Zicam, I have had the weakest colds ever! After trying it have I become a beliver? most definitely! Will I recommend this product to everyone with a cold? Yes. Zinc works.

Destroyed my sinus infection in a week.

Zicam may not work for everyone, but it works wonders for me and it looks like for many others. If you take it as directed it will most likely cut your cold in half at least. Can't say enough about it. I'm usually very skeptical about "miracle" homeopathic remedies, but this one has held up to experimentation. It has worked wonderfully on the last 3 colds I've had. None lasted longer than 4 days. Plus, there are some credible independent studies that verify its effectiveness. I just hope the rhinoviruses don't get too "smart" and eventually mutate to render zinc useless as a cold remedy.

I have been using Zicam for about 6 months now. I use it whenever I have been exposed to a cold, and considering I have two kids in different schools and work in a close office, I have had a lot of exposure. I have not had even a sniffle all fall and winter, whereas my kids have both had several colds, and everyone in my office has as well. That has rarely, if ever been the case for me. If it indeed works by blocking the receptors where cold viruses need to attach to cells, I'm wondering if the receptors might be generic enough to be the ones that the SARS (Severe Accute Respiratory Syndrome) virus attaches. In that case, Zicam could potentially prevent a SARS infection. It's food for thought, and I wonder if the Zicam people, as well as the CDC are looking into it.

Saw it on TV and thought it was snake oil. My girlfriend got a sore throat and cold last week and went on the Zicam and was better in two days with her symptoms not getting much worse after she started the Zicam. A week later I get a scratchy throat and start to get stuffy. So I gave it a try and to my amazement, the stuff really works! Cold never really took hold I was functional and comfortable and I got better in 2 to 3 days. Before colds would last a good 7 - 10 days for me and I would usually get a secondary infection in sinus or chest requiring antibiotics. Not this time. Amazing stuff, glad I had an open mind and gave it a try after seeing how well it worked for my girlfriend. Figured I had same virus, so it was a good shot it would work for me and it did! I guess it does not work on every cold virus, but if it gets just half of them, it's worth anything not to suffer.

I tried it for the first time this week. What I found by day 4 was that my cold symptoms are almost gone and that the severity of the symptoms were never terrible. My sinus congestion never progressed to my chest and throat at all! I did suppliment Zicam with rest and Comtrex decongestants at night since I want to avoid a sinus infection at all costs. I looked at zicam.com and read the research study. In their study they found that 108 patients using zinc nasal spray had no symptoms of a common cold after 5 days (most showing recovery after 2 days). 100% of the placebo population was not recovered for 2 weeks (most not showing improvement for at least 7 days). I usually take a week or more to get over a cold - like the population in Zicam's study. I did not give it a 5 since, I did not get the results of most posting to this site that they knocked out their cold in 2 days. I caught my cold at the very onset and took care of myself. I wanted to get over this ASAP and it did not happen. I was upset at first, but Zicams data versus others "snake oil" claims found that my results were typical with the product - The mean recovery rate using this product was 2.9 +/- 0.9 days. 2 to 4 days is typical cold duration for ~84% of the population. In my case shortening my cold from 7 days to 4 isnt bad and worth $10 - thanks Zicam!

It seems expesive but it's worth every penny. It cut my down time significantly. ZICAM works best if you start using as soon as symptoms begin.

I work in the Casino industry, where you're always touching money, chips, coin, etc. I used to get 3-4 colds a year lasting up to 2-3 weeks. Since I found and tried Zicam, I haven't had a bad cold in 3 years. The secret is to always keep it onhand. (I used to use the spray, now I use the swabs) The minute you get the first sign of a cold, ie; scratchy throat, etc, use the swabs, every 2-3 hours. The cold will never get any worse and will usually go completely away during the day and end within 2-3 days. The swabs say single use, but you can use them 2-3 times each, saving lots of money as it used to be one bottle per cold. Now I can keep the swabs onhand and take care of 2-3 colds from 1 box. If you wait until a cold is full-bllown, you may not get the desired results. This is why some of the comments here are negative. Buy a box of swabs today (Walmart's prive is $7.87) and you'll never get a bad cold again! Amazing stuff!

Very interesting product. Glad to see that something has been developed to help with the common cold. I have used Zicam for two days now and I really believe that this bout with a cold would have gotten much worse by now had I not nipped it in the bud with Zicam. Seems to be doing what was promised.

This stuff is great! Everyone in the family had a BAD cold. I used Zicam nasal gel and my cold barely registered for two days and then was gone. One hint:After my cold vacated my sinuses it went for my throat. I switched to zinc gluconate glycine lozenges at that point. So I really only did the nasal gel for a day or so. I've also heard there's a zinc gluconate throat spray that works well.

I was skeptical about this product, but it did everything it said it would do. The people who gave me the cold suffered for days, I didn't suffer at all. Watch the nasal gel, it sometimes leaves a little residue on the outside of your nose. Looks like snot (can't think of a better way to put it.) People who said this didn't work, had the flu and not a cold. The product says right on it that it only works on cols.

Zicam is pretty amazing. My husband, daughter, and I all got great results. We used it at the first sign of a cold and every two hours after. It made a huge difference. Two day colds instead of a week. No nagging cough afterwards. Might not work for everybody, but it works for us! And if it's a placebo effect - who cares??!! The cold still disappears!!

I took it this morning b/c my husband had a cold and I felt a little bit like I was getting one. Seems to be working, but it definately feels like I am getting a cold now, rather than this morning when it was just questionable. So far I have taken it 2 times today and the 2nd time I felt a little dizzy, slight pressue in my head and nausea set in a bit. Has anyone else experienced these symtoms?

EVERY time I get a cold I get a raging sinus infection and bronchitis. I end up using an inhaler, prescription cough syrup etc. I swear this really works! In one day my symptoms lessoned. I would recommend using the nasal swabs because the nasal spray is very irritating (even though it works well) and makes you sneeze like crazy. Even my five year old doesn't mind the swabs. A cold without a sinus infection is worth using Zicam! I sound like an advertisement but trust me, it is great!

If you have 10 bucks to waste try this. If not just suffer. My cold without Zicam lasted 9 days with Zicam 9 days. Wow a dollar a day to suffer. This is my 3rd cold all the same results. I see a strong plecebo effect going on

It worked immediatley. Got a good night rest with open breathing passages. It is also great to know that it has nurtrtional value. Zinc is lacking for many other medical issues.

Heard about it and used it for first time. It was amazing the difference. Worked better than I thought it would. Now I have recommended to all my family members.

i purchased this product 5 days ago and my cold has gotten much worse. I had the flu shot and I have no symptons of the flu such as nuscle ache and sore throat. My head feels like it is going to explode and I guess I through out $10.99 on this product and will now have to go to the doctor.

I have been using Zicam for 2 years now, and I can say that it really works. I have not had a cold in over two years now - well, I have had colds, but they have been so minor that they were hardly an inconvience. And since you don't have to take any other drugs, you feel normal. I will point out that I have had sinus infections that Zicam did not have any impact on.

I was skeptical, but it has worked amazingly well for me. On two different colds, the symptoms were greatly reduced and then gone after 2 days. This is the closest thing to a cure for the common cold that is out there. It may not work for everyone, but I am recommending it to everyone I know. The effect for me was not subtle, but dramatic, with no side-effects.