Hard to believe that such a product would exist out there where the generic brand is actually BETTER than the original brand it’s imitating.
But I found it.
Keep in mind that there are many different Zicam Cold Remedies not just in nasal spray form. I don’t bother with the nasal spray because I have poor hand-eye coordination so there’s no way I would be able to take such a product properly.
So for people like me, Zicam has RapidMelts. These are tablets that you let dissolve in your mouth. If you don’t mind the fact that it’s powdery then these tablets can make a great substitute for the nasal spray and there’s no risk of losing your sense of smell in the process.
There’s only one problem with the RapidMelts…
…worst taste ever!
I guess that is why people go for the nasal spray instead.
It’s quite possible that the RapidMelts metallic aftertaste only affects though who have sensitive taste buds (or have an allergy to aluminum like I had to learn in the worst possible way years ago). I just can’t understand why Zicam would allow this product to continue to be made with its awful taste…
Especially since I found a store brand that still does the same job without it.
In fact, it was the CVS Cold Remedy Fast Melting tablets that I originally tried first and I was completely floored by the effectiveness of this product. So it came as quite a surprise when I tried the Zicam brand and discovered how awful the taste was. I couldn’t dissolve the entire tablet, which made using the Zicam brand useless for me.
At least with the CVS Brand I can dissolve the whole thing on my tongue without losing my mind.
The ingredients in the CVS Brand are different from the Zicam Brand. In both brands you will expect to find the main ingredient responsible for fighting off colds: Zincum Gluconicum. But that is the only ingredient that these two brands have in common.
The additional ingredient in Zicam, responsible for the metallic aftertaste, is Zincum Aceticum. While it’s possible that the Zincum Aceticum is also beneficial in shortening the duration of the common cold, I still believe that CVS Brand is still just as effective if not moreso for someone with a sensitive tongue. The only additional ingredients that CVS Brand has are Zincum Oxydatum and Sambucus Nigra as well as other inactive ingredients that spare consumers from the awful metallic aftertaste of the Zicam brand.
I will confess: my love for the CVS Brand Cold Remedy is so great that I have been taking these tablets multiple times a day more than I should when fighting a common cold. Despite the warnings that come with the CVS Brand, I still drink a few acid liquids (not too much) and I have less stomachaches with this brand then I did when I was experimenting with the Zicam Brand.
So believe it or not, generic brands can be a whole lot better than the regular brand depending on your tastes and the product itself. The CVS Cold Remedy Fast Melting tablets win over Zicam RapidMelts by creating a product with no metallic aftertaste, and when taken at the first sign of a common cold, will save you from the ultimate nightmare of a week long sore throat or a stuffy nose. Airborne and Emergen-C products have their own effectiveness but CVS Cold Remedy Fast Melting tablets are better tasting, quicker to consume, and don’t leave a constant acidic taste on my tongue. It is without doubt the most effective cold remedy I have ever had the fortune to discover and you save a few dollars per bottle compared to the brand it is based on.
Just one important note: CVS has recently come out with a Lemon-Lime flavor of its fast melting tablets but I was shocked to find that it contains the ingredient Zincum Aceticum and thus the metallic aftertaste that is normally found in Zicam RapidMelts. DO NOT GET THE LEMON-LIME FLAVOR! Only the Citrus and Cherry flavors of CVS Cold Remedy Fast Melting tablets can save you from the metallic aftertaste. Just to be safe, I always stick with the better tasting Citrus flavor.
