Poligrip Lawsuit Fixodent Lawyer Denture Cream Attorney Effects Zinc Poisoning

Lawsuits Pending: Denture Creams Such As Super Poligrip, Fixodent and Others, May Be Associated With Side Effects Such As Paralysis, Numbness, Tingling, Muscle Weakness And Other Neurological Issues.

There have been numerous reports of people experiencing paralysis, developing numbness, tingling in hands, loss of sensation or unexplained pain and muscle weakness in legs and arms, as well as numerous other neurological problems as a possible result of the zinc in Super Poligrip, Fixodent and other denture creams. If you have experienced any of these symptoms and are using Fixodent or Poligrip please call us at 800-LAW-INFO.

Symptoms of Zinc Poisoning

Exposure to excess zinc can cause paralysis, unexplained pain and muscle weakness, numbness, loss of sensation or other neurological symptoms. Denture cream users who experience such symptoms should consult their doctor. Typical symptoms of zinc poisoning include:

Numbness and Tingling:

Zinc poisoning can lead to conditions called paresthesias and dysesthesias. Paresthesias leads to feelings of numbness, tingling, pinching, sharp, deep stabs, electric shocks, or buzzing in the arms and legs. Dysesthesias refers to unpleasant abnormal sensations that occur when a patient touches something.

Impaired Sense of Position:

Because of the numbness in their feet, victims of zinc poisoning may lack coordination when walking.

"Glove and Stocking Sensation":

Patients may have a feeling of wearing stockings or gloves or slippers even though their hands and feet are completely bare.

Weakness in the Arms or Legs:

The copper deficiency that accompanies zinc poisoning can damage the nerves leading to the legs and arms. This can cause difficulty walking or running, and a feeling of "heaviness" in the legs. These symptoms can make walking and other daily functions quite difficult.

Diagnosis that may be determined due to Zinc Poisoning

Dysesthesias

Dysesthesias refers to unpleasant abnormal sensations that occur when a patient touches something, or is exposed to some other type of stimulus. Dysesthesias is associated with lesions of the peripheral or central nervous system, and causes patients to feel burning, wetness, itching, electric shock, "pins and needles" and other uncomfortable sensations in their extremities, especially their hands and feet.

Paresthesias

Paresthesias leads to feelings of numbness, tingling, pinching, sharp, deep stabs, electric shocks, or buzzing in the arms and legs. While the symptoms of parenthesis are similar to dysesthesias, a patient with paresthesias does not have to come in contact with a stimulus in order to experience its symptoms. Other types of paresthesias include feelings of cold, warmth, burning, itching, and skin crawling.

Copper Deficiency

Exposure to excess zinc inhibits the absorption of copper. Fatigue, paleness, skin sores, edema, slowed growth, hair loss, anorexia, diarrhea and dermatitis can be symptoms of copper deficiency. Copper deficiency can also affect the immune and cardiovascular systems. The condition also can cause reduced red blood cell function and reduced red blood cell life span, which can lead to impaired energy levels and cause weakness and labored respiration from decreased oxygen delivery.

Anemia

One of the more common blood disorders, anemia occurs when the level of healthy red blood cells in the body becomes too low. This can lead to health problems, including fatigue and impaired bodily organs, because red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the body's tissues.

Bone Marrow Failure

Bone marrow failure syndromes include a group of disorders than can be either inherited or acquired. These diseases are disorders of the hematopoietic stem cell that can involve either one cell line or all of the cell lines (erythroid for red cells, myeloid for white blood cells, megakaryocytic for platelets).

Neuropathy
Severe zinc poisoning can lead to neuropathy, a condition that affects the nerves. 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; or a change or decrease in walking stride. Severe neuropathy can even lead to abnormal blood pressure and heart rate, reduced ability to perspire, constipation, bladder dysfunction, and sexual dysfunction.

These neurological problems caused by excess exposure to zinc contained in denture creams can be devastating. In some cases, patients suffering from zinc poisoning have been confined to wheelchairs. Tests for zinc levels in the blood can determine quickly if a zinc overdose is to blame.

Severe zinc poisoning can lead to neuropathy, a condition that affects the nerves. 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; or a change or decrease in walking stride. Severe neuropathy can even lead to abnormal blood pressure and heart rate, reduced ability to perspire, constipation, bladder dysfunction, and sexual dysfunction.

Possible Misdiagnoses of Denture Cream Side Effects

Many doctors are not aware that the zinc in denture cream can cause neuropathy and other neurological side effects. Our denture cream lawyers are investigating several cases of denture cream side effects that were initially misdiagnosed as one of several demyelinating diseases.

Demyelinating diseases are characterized by numbness, tingling pain or weakness in the extremities; coordination and movement problems; and many of the other symptom suffered by the victims of denture cream side effects. Demyelinating diseases occur when the myelin sheath - a protective coating of the nerve cells - deteriorates or is destroyed. Research has shown that victims of severe copper deficiency also show evidence of demyelination. Because of these similarities, people who use denture cream and suffer from such symptoms should ask their doctors to test zinc and copper levels in the blood to rule out denture cream side effects.

Some of the demyelinating diseases most often misdiagnosed in patients with denture cream side effects include:

Demyelinating Syndrome: Typical symptoms of this disorder include odd sensation in legs, arms, chest, or face, such as tingling or numbness, or weakness; blurriness or double vision; loss of dexterity; and coordination problems. This syndrome can be associated with other diseases, such as lupus.

Multiple Sclerosis: Multiple sclerosis can be difficult to diagnose early in the course of the disease, because symptoms often come and go — sometimes disappearing for months. Because of this difficulty, doctors may at first think that a patient has Multiple Sclerosis, when in fact they are suffering from denture neuropathy.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. The first symptoms of this disorder include varying degrees of weakness or tingling sensations in the legs. In many instances the weakness and abnormal sensations spread to the arms and upper body. These symptoms can increase in intensity until certain muscles cannot be used at all. When severe, a patient may suffer life-threatening paralysis.

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP): A rare neurological disorder in which there is swelling of nerve roots and destruction of the myelin sheath over the nerves. This disorder causes weakness, paralysis and/or impairment in motor function, especially of the arms and legs. Sensory loss may also be present causing numbness, tingling, or prickling sensations. The motor and sensory impairments usually affect both sides of the body, and the degree of severity may vary.

Legal Help for Victims of Denture Cream Zinc Poisoning

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require disclosure of the potential for denture cream zinc poisoning on their labels. Without a mandate from the FDA, the makers of Poligrip, Fixodent and other denture creams have been unwilling to include such warnings. Our lawyers are determined to hold these manufacturers accountable for this negligence.

If you or someone you love suffers from neuropathy or other neurological symptoms that you believe were caused by zinc in denture creams, you have valuable legal rights. Please fill out our online form or call 1-800 LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636) to speak to a denture cream zinc poisoning lawyer at our firm.