For those of you who take "Airborne"

[moosmom]

I found this article on a class action lawsuit against the company who makes Airborne.

http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2008/03/04/airborne/index.html?source=rss

[Grace]

On our local news, there was a feature on Airborne, Zicam and Cold-Eze. None of these are FDA approved, and none are proven to cure or prevent the common cold or anything else.

The doctor who did the segment said it's all in the placebo effect. If you think it works for you, it probably will. Basically these products are over-priced vitamin pills that are cleverly, but deceptively, marketed. Interestingly, the anchor on the news with the doctor said he uses Airborne.

Whatever floats your boat . . . . . . . . .

[ramanth]

Interesting. Andy and I used to get sick after attending conventions (Con Crud it's unlovingly called).

So we started taking Airborne a couple days prior and during the convention and haven't suffered Con Crud since. *shrugs*

[Grace]

The products I listed all contain zinc, and zinc can interfere with viral action.

I found this - and as you can see the effects can just as easily be positive or negative.


Common cold

Zinc lozenges

The use of zinc lozenges within 24 hours of the onset of cold symptoms, and continued every 2-3 hours while awake until symptoms resolve, has been advocated for reducing the duration of the common cold. At least ten controlled trials of zinc gluconate lozenges for the treatment of common colds in adults have been published. Five studies found that zinc lozenges reduced the duration of cold symptoms, whereas five studies found no difference between zinc lozenges and placebo lozenges with respect to the duration or severity of cold symptoms. A recent meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials on the use of zinc gluconate lozenges in colds found that evidence for their effectiveness in reducing the duration of common colds was still lacking (42). Two clinical trials examined the effect of zinc acetate lozenges on cold symptoms. While one of the trials found that zinc acetate lozenges (12.8 mg of zinc per lozenge) taken every 2-3 hours while awake reduced the duration of overall cold symptoms (4.5 vs. 8.1 days) compared to placebo (43), the other study found that zinc acetate lozenges were no different from placebo in reducing the duration or severity of cold symptoms (44).

Despite numerous well-controlled trials, the efficacy of zinc lozenges in treating common cold symptoms remains questionable. The physiological basis for a beneficial effect of high-dose zinc supplementation on cold symptoms is not known. Taking zinc lozenges every 2-3 hours while awake often results in daily zinc intakes well above the tolerable upper level of intake (UL) of 40 mg/day (see Safety). Short-term use of zinc lozenges (e.g., less than five days) has not resulted in serious side effects, though some individuals experienced gastrointestinal disturbances and mouth irritation. Use of zinc lozenges for prolonged periods (e.g., 6-8 weeks) is likely to result in copper deficiency. For this reason, some experts have recommended that a person who does not show clear evidence of improvement of cold symptoms after 3-5 days of zinc lozenge treatment seek medical evaluation (43).

Intranasal zinc (zinc nasal gels and nasal sprays)

Intranasal zinc preparations, designed to be applied directly to the nasal epithelium (cells lining the nasal passages), are also marketed as over-the-counter cold remedies. While two placebo-controlled trials found that intranasal zinc gluconate modestly shortened the duration of cold symptoms (45, 46), three other placebo-controlled studies found intranasal zinc to be of no benefit (47-49). In the most rigorously controlled of these studies, intranasal zinc gluconate did not affect the severity or duration of cold symptoms in volunteers inoculated with rhinovirus, a common cause of colds (47). Of serious concern are several case reports of individuals experiencing loss of the sense of smell (anosmia) after using intranasal zinc as a cold remedy (50, 51). Since zinc-associated anosmia may be irreversible, intranasal zinc preparations should be avoided.

[pitc9]

I just saw that... I have 2 packs of that stuff at home!

Even if you don't have a receipt you can still get money!!! :D