Zinc Lozenge User Has Same Symptoms as Denture Cream Lawsuit Settlement Plaintiffs

Zinc Lozenge User Has Same Symptoms as Denture Cream Lawsuit Settlement Plaintiffs

A Canadian man debilitated by what he believes may be zinc poisoning from lozenges is experiencing symptoms similar to those who are pursuing denture cream lawsuit settlements.

Rudy Papke, an 88-year-old from Harrow, Ontario, Canada, was an avid windsurfer before he began to experience numbness in his lower legs and weakness.

"My legs were just like steel. My stamina and strength just went down so fast," said Papke, a father of six and former farmer.

Though Papke was diagnosed with nerve damage in his legs, the source of his affliction remained a mystery despite multiple visits to his doctor, consultations with specialists, and hundreds of blood tests. But while in Florida during February 2010 he read an article in a local newspaper that offered some answers. The St. Petersburg Times was running a piece about the lawsuits against denture cream manufacturers (Poligrip) and Procter & Gamble (Fixodent). Papke read that the plaintiffs in the lawsuits were experiencing symptoms of nerve damage similar to his, most notably numbness in the legs, and were accusing GSK and P&G of failing to warn of the dangers of overusing denture cream that contains zinc. Papke himself had been taking lozenges containing zinc for years to combat chronic bronchitis.

Because he waited months to undergo blood tests, it's difficult to know Papke's blood zinc levels, or whether the Jamieson Laboratories zinc lozenges he'd been taking were responsible for his health problems. Also, Papke had only been taking the lozenges for about three years, and they contained small amounts of zinc. Yet as dietician Neil MacKenzie points out, the effects of zinc on the body can vary. "It's unlikely that five milligrams could be causing a problem," he said. "But there could be other factors, like if that individual's body is more efficient at absorbing zinc.

Zinc is contained in a number of everyday foods such as beef, dairy products, and whole grains and is an essential nutrient. Lately, however, it has received attention for its deleterious effects. It all began when a groundbreaking study linking denture cream zinc to peripheral nervous system damage was published in 2008. Since then, lawsuits have continually been filed against GSK and P&G by denture cream users who claim their neurological damage was caused by Poligrip and Fixodent. And earlier this month, the FDA issued a notice to the pharmaceutical giants that recommended a number of actions be taken to protect public health, including removing zinc form their denture adhesives.

Rudy Papke does not intend to file a lawsuit against Jamieson Laboratories. Here merely wants others to understand the potential risks of excessive zinc intake.

"I want to get people aware of what it can do to you. "Don't just take zinc indiscriminately," he said.

For many denture cream users, their indiscriminate zinc use was the result of not knowing it was contained in Poligrip or Fixodent or understanding how to properly apply the products. This certainly was not their fault, as GSK and P&G did not list zinc as a denture cream ingredient or provide directions for safe use.

If you believe you or a family member suffered neurological damage caused by Fixodent or Poligrip, the Rottenstein Law Group wants to help. We understand you weren't aware of the dangers of denture cream zinc and that a denture cream lawsuit settlement may be the only way for you to obtain the compensation necessary to pay for your medical bills and other losses.

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