http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dw....96905d65.html


More claims of denture cream poisoning


10:38 PM CDT on Tuesday, May 22, 2007


By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA-TV


Also Online
Check FDA for consumer complaints
US Department of Health & Human Services: How can I find out if any problems with medical devices have been reported?
02/06: Man, Dr.: Denture paste poisonous
More health stories


An estimated 35 million people use denture adhesives, especially when they wake up and after they eat.
But now, another North Texas man claims it poisoned him and he said he believes others may also unknowingly be exposed to danger in a tube.
Gerald Elliott, of Ellis County, can barely walk on his own.
"The problem with my feet is they're almost totally dead," he said. "I [can] hardly feel."
Elliott makes his way through his small cabin by grabbing onto the walls.
"I'm able to hold on to everything, I've got a post here and there almost like a chimpanzee," he said.
After years of increasing discomfort and declining health, Elliott went to the doctor and was diagnosed with neuropathy: nerve damage.
"And [the doctor] diagnosed me with zinc toxicity; and I didn't believe it," he said.
But a second opinion confirmed it.
After months of ruling out other factors, medical records showed high levels of zinc in his system attributed to SuperPoligrip.
He's not alone.
Last year, News 8 profiled JD Jackson, who said he also suffered neuropathy linked to zinc toxicity from Super PoliGrip.
News 8 learned of at least two lawsuits filed against GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Super PoliGrip, for the same problem. At least one of those suits was settled out of court with a confidentiality agreement.
Denture cremes were approved more than 30 years ago as a "Class 1 medical device" according to a statement by the FDA. Class 1 medical devices are considered low-risk and are not required to list the ingredients on the label.
Denture adhesives also come with no warning.
GlaxoSmithKline admitted zinc is one of SuperPoligrip's primary ingredients. In a statement, GSK said the risk of zinc poisoning is "minimal" when the product is "used as directed."
But Baylor College of Dentistry Dr. Charles Wakefield said the vast majority of people who use over-the-counter denture creams do so because they have poorly fitting dentures, which often means they use much more product than recommended.
"And for those people, that's exactly correct, and there's a huge market for that," Dr. Wakefield said.
Dr. Wakefield said the mouth's membranes absorb minerals and medicines better than anywhere else in the body. So, it's entirely possible that many people are soaking in more zinc through their gums than they should.
"Sure it's all possible," said Dr. Wakefield when asked if possible zinc poisoning has been mistaken for something else. "But, what needs to be done is a really good, thorough, well-controlled study needs to be done to rule it in or out."
Since discontinuing use of Super PoliGrip, Elliott claimed his zinc levels have returned to normal; but the effects are permanent.
"I'm just a common ol' boy, but it was hard for me to believe that something that simple could cause so much damage," he said.
He's suing the company. He said his ultimate isn't to punish the company, but warn other denture wearers of a potential risk.

E-mail jstjames@wfaa.com