Fixodent Lawsuit

Watch the video: Fixodent zinc poisoning remains a danger

The zinc found in denture adhesives such as Fixodent has for some time been suspected of causing nerve damage. New revelations exposed this week point to a delay in releasing key research that some attribute to a physician that we now know was a paid consultant for Proctor & Gamble.

For several years, many doctors have maintained that fixodent zinc poisoning can lead to Copper deficiency; Copper is vital to maintaining healthy nerves. A link between fixodent zinc poisoning and health problems first surfaced in a 2008 study. However, a full release of that study was delayed for almost two years.

The delay was due to a peer review conducted by Dr. Kenneth Shay. At the time, Dr. Shay claimed the research was flawed because the doctors who conducted the study didn’t understand the research material.

However, ABC News later learned that Dr. Shay served as a paid consultant to Fixodent manufacturer Proctor & Gamble, something he failed to disclose. ABC News obtained documents in which Shay sent draft reports of the zinc toxicity study to others, but asked recipients to “Please be circumspect because, as a reviewer, I’m not supposed to be passing a draft around.”

Dr. Shay continued to stand behind his review and maintains that the study had “objective shortcomings” despite the fact that Proctor & Gamble placed new labels on Fixodent in 2009 cautioning that prolonged zinc intake may be linked to adverse health effects.

More than 360 adverse health reports connected to zinc and denture adhesives have been sent to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, although neither the FDA nor Proctor & Gamble would say whether they’re taking any action as a result of them.

If you are concerned about fixodent zinc poisoning and fixodent nerve damage you are urged to contact our personal injury attorneys by filling out the inquiry form to the right with your details or calling 1-800-LAWINFO.

Plaintiffs in the Fixodent lawsuit claim that their neuropathy is linked to using the denture cream, which contains high levels of zinc. Like most dental cremes, Fixodent contains this mineral. Zinc in small amounts is not dangerous, but excessive exposure can cause an individual to become copper deficient. If the body is deprived of copper for a long period of time, neurological problems, including neuropathy, can result. The problems with Fixodent occur when consumers have been using large amounts of the product over a long period of time to keep poor fitting …

Neuropathy is by far the most serious health problem reported by plaintiffs in the majority of Fixodent lawsuits filed throughout the USA. Neuropathy is a disorder caused by damaged nerves. Neuropathy is often a consequence of diabetes or poor nutrition. It can also be a reaction to a toxin, or a side effect of certain drugs, such as chemotherapy agents.

Symptoms of neuropathy vary, but may include:

• numbness or tingling in the feet, legs, hands, and/or arms;
• a reduction in strength or ability to move legs or feet, or arms and hands;
• unexplained pain in the extremities;
• a tendency to stumble or fall down; instability and lack of balance;
• change or decrease in walking stride;
• abnormal blood pressure and heart rate;
• reduced ability to perspire;
• constipation and/or bladder dysfunction;
• sexual dysfunction.

When neuropathy is caused by Fixodent or other denture adhesives, copper depletion caused by exposure to excess zinc is to blame. This is what researchers at the University of Texas discovered when they studied a group of neuropathy patients for an article that appeared in the August 2008 issue of Neurology.

The article noted that one tube of denture cream should last 3 to 10 weeks,  but patients in the study were all using at least two tubes a week. Three had also lost their teeth at a relatively young age, meaning they had  used “extremely large amounts of denture adhesive daily for years.” Blood tests revealed that all of the patients suffered from excessive zinc and insufficient copper …

If you are a Fixodent user, and have experienced symptoms that could be related to zinc poisoning, you have valuable legal rights. Please fill out our online form, or call 1 800 LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636) to discuss the possibility of filing a Fixodent lawsuit.