Attorney Jeff Lowe Speaks About Denture Cream Poisoning

June 10, 2010, 8:00AM. By Heidi Turner

St. Louis, MOPatients who use denture cream may not yet realize they are at risk of developing denture cream zinc poisoning. Attorney Jeff Lowe, partner at Carey, Danis & Lowe, explains how products like Fixodent denture adhesive and Super Poligrip are associated with zinc poisoning and nerve damage.

"GlaxoSmithKline's denture cream, Super Poligrip, was on the market for 14 years and was just pulled last month," Lowe says. "It contained high levels of zinc, which as you might know is a heavy metal. What happens is if you have too much zinc, it results in a copper deficiency. That deficiency is associated with nerve damage."

Symptoms of nerve damage include dizziness, weakness and difficulty moving the limbs. Copper deficiency can take a while to develop, but it can become debilitating. Lowe says zinc poisoning has been linked to at least one death.

"There's a report of one person whose autopsy confirmed he had a copper deficiency as a result of zinc overload," Lowe says. "This person went from working as a mechanic to quitting his job, needing a walker and eventually dying."

People who use denture cream should ensure that it does contain zinc, Lowe advises. If they believe that their denture cream contains zinc and has caused nerve damage, they should provide evidence of their use of the product. That evidence includes receipts, credit card bills and possibly records from the pharmacy they go to.

Anyone who suspects he or she has suffered nerve damage should seek medical help. Doctors can run tests to determine whether a patient has zinc poisoning, copper deficiency and/or neuropathy. Although zinc poisoning is associated with overuse of denture adhesive, Lowe says it might not take much denture adhesive to cause zinc overdose.

"In all these cases, everyone is unique. We can't say what the dose-response relationship is. So anyone who has used denture cream and has symptoms of nerve damage [difficulty walking, poor balance, dizziness, pain or tingling in the hands, arms, legs and feet] should see a doctor and be tested."

Both Super Poligrip, made by GlaxoSmithKline, and Fixodent, made by Procter & Gamble, have been linked to zinc poisoning.

Carey, Danis & Lowe focus their practice in the area of pharmaceutical liability. They have recovered over $900,000,000 for their clients and have obtained jury verdicts in excess of $120,000,000. They represent clients nationwide.