Super Poligrip with Zinc to be Discontinued due to Risk of Zinc Poisoning

[steven johnson]

Zinc has been touted as something to take to keep from getting a cold. Now we find that too much zinc can be harmful.

GlaxoSmithKline PLC will discontinue Super Poligrip with zinc, due to the risk that use of the denture adhesive may cause serious and potentially debilitating problems from zinc poisoning.

Super Poligrip Original, Ultra Fresh and Extra Care denture cream products will be removed from shelves and replaced with zinc-free versions, the British drug company announced on Thursday. The product change comes as the company faces mounting Poligrip lawsuits over health problems allegedly caused by zinc in the denture adhesive products. Excess levels of zinc entering the body from the denture cream could cause users to suffer neurological damage from zinc poisoning.

GlaxoSmithKline says that it is discontinuing the products due to the “health problems associated with the long-tern excessive use of our zinc-containing denture adhesive products.” However, the company said it still believes that the products are safe when used in recommended amounts. GlaxoSmithKline has maintained that users are only in danger when they use more than the recommended amount in order to compensate for ill-fitting dentures.

Eventually, GlaxoSmithKline says there will be zinc-free versions of all of the discontinued denture creams, but did not announce when those products would be available. There is already a Super Poligrip Free on the market, which does not contain zinc. The replacement products will be clearly marked as being zinc-free, the company said.

Super Poligrip with Zinc to be Discontinued due to Risk of Zinc Poisoning

[Cirque du So-What]

1. Zinc was really pushed on consumers for awhile

I remember sore-throad lozenges laden with zinc not very long ago. I don't know if they're still available, as I haven't looked for them; I have an aversion to overmedicating - even with over-the-counter concoctions.

[BuddhaGirl]

4. zinc and elderberry lozenges work great

you can still get zinc lozenges.

[mrcheerful]

2. Fixadent works better then poligrip in my opinion, I can wear my dentures for 24

hours with Fixadent where poligrip lets go after 4 or 5 hours.

[Warpy]

3. If you use this stuff in ordinary amounts, you don't have to worry

but people who were going through 2-3 tubes in a week (!) were running into serious trouble with it.

If you need to apply the stuff that frequently, you need to take your dentures in to get them re lined so they'll fit better.

Unfortunately, a lot of people who have dentures have them because they could never afford the dental treatment that could have saved their own teeth and can't afford to go in and get the store teeth fixed.

And that's why the zinc is coming out.