RateItAll: The Opinion Network

I tend to be from the school of thought that you should let your body do its thing and take as little medication as possible, symptoms are your body fighting the disease. But recently I tried Zicam to see if the hype was correct and I have to admit that currently I am NOT suffering through only my second cold in the past year. I have the tickle in my throat and intermittent coughing but none of the distracting sinus pressure or runny nose. I obviously can't prove that Zicam is responsible for my lack of/less severe colds but I see a correlation and will keep taking it...if for nothing more than the psychosomatic benefits.

Don't use zicam if: a. you want to stay home from work and watch springer or oprah b. if you want an excuse to say no to going to that baby shower. c. if you want to get out of jury duty. The stuff works, perhaps too well *l* I take it at the first sign of a cold and over the next 24-48 hours I go through what I like to call a "speed cold"..on day 1 all the usual symptoms will appear in rapid succession..sore throat starts at the back of the throat..then quickly slides down the throat to the the chest...I sneeze, sniffle and snort for a couple of hours while using zicam at the prescribed intervals... I go to bed early..and although day 2 usually has me a little groggy/slow I never feel bad enough to call in sick or beg off of any commitments. I have zicam in my desk drawer at work...and in my medicine cabinet at home. Good stuff!

Zicam works really well. The trick is to start taking it the instant you start to get that tickle in your throat. I use the RapidMelts tablets and the cherry flavor is fine but they do leave a chalky aftertaste. It's honestly not that bad though! So the moment you realize you might be getting sick, you start taking them, every 3 hours, faithfully. Your cold will either not appear at all OR will be much milder and shorter in duration that it normally would be!

I have used these 3 times for 3 different colds that I felt coming on. Every single time, my sore throat disappears almost instantly. I might get very mild nasal congestion or none at all. But that is it. Instead of having a terrible cold for 2 weeks, I have to live with chalky aftertate for about 3 days. I'll take the latter every time!

I highly recommend this product.

I just tried it for the first time, and I can say I love it so far! I tried the meltaways, and they taste a little funky, but they are worth it.

I use the nasal swabs for myself and the kids ones on my toddlers-- these things are amazing. We used to get so sick and now... we feel the cold coming on, use the swabs a few times and our colds are so mild or never fully come at all. But read the directions- you are only to apply the gel to the rim of your nostril-- not up your nose.

I had heard about zicam for a few years, but never tried it. My daughter and wife both came down with the cold. I watched them suffer for a week as I took care of them. I travel almost constantly so I was really worried about catching what they had, but I had to take care of them. I went to work today feeling fine, but when I got home I started getting that run down feeling as well as a mild sore throat. I have a company party tomorrow and a flight to catch in two days. I decided to give zicam a try for the first time and guess what. It worked. I have no clue how it does it and I really don't care. I am 100% after 8 hours and 2 doses. I will continue to use it for the recommended 48 hours just to be safe. I will also be taking it with me when I head out of town. Great stuff.

ZICAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! love, love, love the little swabs for your nose. miracle......i am super sensitive and delicate, and this stuff is odorless, tasteless, and NON-IRRITATING. i can smell and taste food, and there is absolutely no side effects (for me). my boyfriend is laying in the other room practically dying, and it's too late for him. i woke up yesterday with a tickle/scratch in my throat, took one ZICAM swab in each nostril, and today my symptoms are almost totally gone!! i'm gonna keep swabbing my nose for the rec. 48 hours. THIS STUFF IS AWESOME POSSUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! before my cold even got here....IT"S DUNZO!!!

I've never used the nasal gel since Zicam was sued for causing people to lose their sense of smell with it, so I've stuck to the little wafers. They taste like hell (I seriously imagine if I could taste hell, this would be the exact sensation I got), but I enjoy tasting my dinner. I normally get sick 2-3 times a year and I'm a school teacher, so I probably breathe in 10 times more germs than a normal person. I wash my hands frequently, eat well, and I'm a vegetarian. I work out a couple times a week (sometimes), and I'm a relatively healthy 23 year old. The only adverse health issue I can think of is habitual alcohol consumption. Other than that, I don't harm my body. My cold symptoms are always the same. I start to get an itchy sore throat, go to bed, and when I wake up on day 1, it is a full blown nasty, raw, annoying symptom from hell (same place they make Zicam!). I endure that, and wake up the next morning with no more throat pain and begin to get congested. The congestion takes that initial day, plus one more to become life-affecting. At this point I sometimes develop a mild fever and feel generally ill. If I decide to not go to work, this last one or two days from then. After that goes away, I have snot for about 4 days. I would say that at this point I feel "100%". When I take Zicam, the only difference is I feel cruddy for only 1 day, and the snot dries faster. Worth it? Yes. In my head? Probably. I've read multiple studies voting for and against Zicam. I'll probably use it for a while until it doesn't affect me anymore. I'm sure the positive results seen are similar to why people think Airborne works. Getting sick is getting sick.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I started to come down with one of my horrible colds that usually last up to a month and turn into bronchitis. My girlfriend suggested Zicam because she was a user and believer. I was shocked at the price, but purchased it anyway. THIS STUFF WORKS! Normally I would have spent over $30 on crap to mask the symptoms and suffered anyway. It may not work for everyone, but it works for my girlfriend and myself. The symtoms disapear in a few days after using as directed. Don't sniff it up into your sinus' though. It tastes horrible!

A few months ago I tried the Zicam medicine in the spoon. Oh my gosh that tastes YUCK. It did cut down my symptons but only a little bit. Right now I have a cold. I am using the nasal swabs and the next day after the first use my throat quit hurting. I am using it today will use it a couple more days and I already feel MUCH better. Normally my cold lasts 3 freakin weeks. But this Zicam is definitely cutting it short. It may not work for everyone but it sure as hell is working for me and that is all I give a shit about!!!!

I have had several trials with Zicam. I bought the nasal gel, and not reading the instruction carefully I was sucking up all the way into my nostrils. It still worked though. The thrid time a felt a cold coming I immediately started using the product. For two or three days I was still feeling lousing, then the next morning, I woke and it was gone. I said this is great and stopped taking the Zicam gel. Sure enough three days later the same cold came back. Frustrated, I started the Zicam again and did some research on the internet and realize that the zicam does not kill the existing virus in your body, just prevents it from replicating itself. So the existing viruses in your body will continue to make you feel like shit, but they eventualy die. I also found out that you need to take Zicam for at least 48 hours after your sympton go away. This is to insure the remaining viruses do not survive. So in my humble opinion. This products works well, but follow the instructions. Thanks

It works! BUT you have to faithfully stick with it for the first few days of symptoms. The first sniffle, and get it out!! Otherwise it does not work.

It doesn't work for everyone, that's a given. I mean, what does? Also, not all colds are the same, if fact you'll never get the same cold twice, so hey, it may not always work, but keep some in your house and take it when you get a cold. If it works on that cold, great, if not, better luck next time.
I have to wonder if anyone got diarrhea by taking the stuff you swallow. I got it last time, though zinc is supposed to reduce diarrhea. I'm just curious.
Best of luck with your colds everyone!

I can't believe there are all these idiots on here that actually think this homeopathic junk works. They're all a bunch of deluded morons.

Zicam good job buddy, If any of you crackers out there of are holding of on trying the "Z" as I call it now you better get on this cash cow. The Z took my cold and gave it a belly to back suplex into the next time zone. Thats right got rid of my symptomS, no more anal sepage no more nagging wife and no more crocdiles in my socks. The next time any of you honkies come down with a case of the cc (common cold) I got three words for you.

RIDE THE Z !!!!!!

Zicam a scam? NOT!!! This stuff really works. I am currently having my second opportunity to use it and it has stopped the cold in it's tracks once again. The first time I used it was a couple of years ago and it did the same thing.dead in its tracks. Right now I have been using it for about 4 days. It started when I noticed a general feeling of being tired, a stuffy head and then some drainage in the back of my throat. I had my wife pick some up while she was out and I started immediately. Since then the worst cold symptom I have had is a little drainage in the back of my throat in the evenings and mornings. Im not really sure why it works but it does for me. I highly recommend it to everyone that I know.

It doesn't work. I started taking it before I visited my pregnant sister in the hospital (she had a bad cold - duh) I got sick two days later. I continued taking Zicam. 7 days later and I'm still SICK.

I used Zicam for the 1st time, at the 1st sign of a cold. I used the gel spray. No burning for me. I can smell better now then before I started taking it. Everything taste great too. We are all different so our bodies react differently. If it doesn't work for you, save your money. If it works for you ...use it and enjoy life!

I tend to get bronchitis with a cold plus I am a smoker. This stuff works wonders. The chewables taste horrible but the good stuff normally does. I've noticed a little upset stomach but it's totally worth not coughing like a maniac for two weeks due to a cold. this is darn near a cure.

Loss of smell? Must be paranoia. I use it and it does wonders, plus saves me the hassle of a flu shot every year. I'm using it now. My boss got sick and has been bed ridden for a week. I caught the same cold, but I'm taking zicam, and all I have is a stuffy head. I'll take that any day over the flu! Great work zicam!!

WOrks wonders!! I had a runny itchy nose and started the Zicam that day. I took about 4 the first day and feel great this morning. I am taking 2 more today just to be sure. I think I warded off this cold!

My family began sing this product before we went on a ski vacation and came down with a cold. This has been a few years. UPon first sign of a cold, we take the dissolving tablets every 3 hours until symtoms resolve. Usually, the severity of a cold is lessened. Instead of a 10 day cold, we get 3-5 days. It also isn't usually very bad.

In fact, we just had our first symtoms a week ago. We all had sore throats. Now, we are fine.

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.

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.

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.