New lawsuits continue to be filed against the manufacturers of Fixodent and Super PoliGrip on behalf of individuals who have suffered neuropathy and other serious injuries from denture cream poisoning.
On June 9, 2009, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated 12 cases, including two Fixodent cases against Proctor and Gamble Manufacturing Corp. and ten Super Poligrip cases against GlaxoSmithKline PLC, into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) for coordinated pretrial litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
The number of lawsuits now consolidated in the MDL has increased to 33, and denture cream lawyers are continuing to review hundreds of other potential claims to determine if complaints like numbness, tingling, pain, weakness, loss of sensation, loss of balance, paralysis or difficulty breathing may be caused by zinc poisoning from Fixodent or Super PoliGrip.
All of the Fixodent lawsuits and Super Poligrip lawsuits involve similar allegations that the manufacturers failed to warn that high amounts of zinc are contained in the denture adhesive creams, which can be absorbed by the body when a large amount of the product is used or if it is used over a long period of time. Increased levels of zinc in the body can also deplete copper levels, causing a condition known as hypocupremia, which is known to increase the risk of significant neurological problems that can leave users with permanent and debilitating physical injuries.
Although the recommended daily allowance of zinc is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women, with 40 mg being the maximum amount of zinc that can be safely tolerated, some denture creams have been found to expose users to levels as high as 330 mg per day.
The filing of cases has been slowed by the difficulty consumers have experienced figuring out that they may be eligible to pursue a potential Fixodent or Poligrip lawsuit. Doctors are often not making an immediate connection between the denture adhesive creams and symptoms exhibited by their patients. In addition, if a blood or urine test is not obtained while the products are being used, or within a short amount of time after they are discontinued, zinc levels and copper levels may return to normal even though the consumer has been left with permanent neurological damage.