Another lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a denture wearer who alleges that the use of Fixodent caused her to suffer zinc poisoning, resulting in chronic pain, neurological problems and other permanent injuries.
The Fixodent lawsuit was filed on March 13, 2009 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on behalf of Sherry Mosley and her son, Aaron Mosley.
The complaint alleges that Sherry Mosley used the Fixodent denture adhesive cream several times per day for a number of years to secure her dentures in place. High levels of zinc contained in the product caused her to suffer from zinc toxicity, which caused a decrease in her copper levels, leaving her with neurological damage and injury.
A growing number of similar denture adhesive lawsuits have been filed against Proctor & Gamble over their Fixodent cream, and against GlaxoSmithKline involving their Poligrip and Super Poligrip adhesive. The use of the products have been associated with symptoms like dizziness, lethargy, paralysis, numbness, loss of sensation, tingling in the hands and feet, muscle weakness and other unexplained pain.
The zinc contained in the denture creams are used as a bonding agent. However, the zinc can seep into the body through the gums, or if the product is swallowed, causing high levels of zinc and copper depletion known as hypocupremia, which can cause a host of adverse health effects.
For years, Sherry Mosley complained to her doctors about vague and unusual neuropathic symptoms that left her incapable of performing many daily activities. The 45 year old mother complains that she suffers from chronic weakness, pain, discomfort and burning in her back, legs and other body parts, along with urinary, bladder and gastrointestinal dysfunction.
After she learned of the denture cream side effects causing problems similar to what she was experiencing, Mosley had her blood tested, which confirmed the presence of abnormally high zinc levels and low copper levels.
The denture cream lawsuit over Fixodent indicates that Proctor & Gamble was aware that some portion of the product would get ingested and metabolized in the gastrointestinal tract. The complaint also alleges that before zinc was added to Fixodent it was generally known and accepted in the scientific community that excess zinc in the body could have severe adverse health effects in humans.
Although zinc and copper levels generally return to normal after Fixodent or other denture creams are stopped, the lawsuit indicates that Mosley was left with permanent neurological injury by the time the problems were discovered.