Cold-fX

There is no evidence that Cold-Fx is effective in people infected with the common cold.{{cite journal|last=Nahas|first=R|author2=Balla, A

|title=Complementary and alternative medicine for prevention and treatment of the common cold.|journal=Canadian Family Physician|date=Jan 2011|volume=57|issue=1|pages=31–6|pmid=21322286|pmc=3024156}} The effect of preventative use is not clear. When used preventively, it makes no difference on the rate of infections.{{cite journal|last=Seida|first=JK|author2=Durec, T |author3=Kuhle, S |title=North American (Panax quinquefolius) and Asian Ginseng (Panax ginseng) Preparations for Prevention of the Common Cold in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review.|journal=Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine |year=2011 |volume=2011|pages=282151|pmid=19592479|doi=10.1093/ecam/nep068|pmc=3136130}} It also appears to have no effect on how severe the infections are. There is tentative evidence that it may lessen the length of sickness when used preventively.

Individuals requiring anticoagulant therapy such as warfarin should avoid use of American ginseng. It is not recommended for individuals with impaired liver or renal function. It is not recommended in those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Other adverse effects may include headaches, anxiety, trouble sleeping and an upset stomach. The product may cause allergic reactions in some people.

The product has not been shown to reduce the number or severity of common colds. There is tentative evidence that it may shorten colds in people who are otherwise healthy adults when taken preventively. All studies posing "significant" results on its efficacy were preliminary and funded by the manufacturer.

Other criticisms point out that these studies have been small scale, with conspicuously shallow participant pools and lopsided gender distributions.{{cite web

|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Flu/story?id=1247773

|title=Fighting the Common Cold

|author=

|date=2005-10-25

|work=ABC News}} Researchers have pointed out that there aren't enough studies on the effects of any form of ginseng on the common cold to form any conclusions.{{cite web

|url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=9c59543e-3d59-4673-8538-ab20e05c20eb

|title=Does ginseng really work? It depends on who you ask

|author=William Lin

|date=2007-02-16

|publisher=The Ottawa Citizen

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621195037/http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=9c59543e-3d59-4673-8538-ab20e05c20eb

|archive-date=2008-06-21

|url-status=dead

}}

Scientists have argued that the product has not been tested for its ability to treat a cold after an individual has been infected.{{cite news

|url=http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-ginseng18feb18,0,4445115.story

|title=Ginseng Unproven in U.S.

|access-date=

|author=

|date=2008-02-18

|work=Los Angeles Times}} No studies have yet been performed to assess the possible long term side effects of taking the pills every day during the cold and flu season.

The manufacturer was criticized for making health claims about the product that have never been tested or scientifically verified. Until February 2007, the company advised a regimen of 18 pills over a course of 3 days in order to obtain "immediate relief" from a cold. Health Canada's review of the scientific literature confirmed that this is not a claim that it was entitled to make.{{cite web

|url=http://www.macleans.ca/homepage/magazine/article.jsp?content=20070326_103302_103302

|title=COLD-fX catches the sniffles again

|author=Charlie Gillis

|date=2007-03-26

|publisher=Maclean's Magazine

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207163510/http://www.macleans.ca/homepage/magazine/article.jsp?content=20070326_103302_103302

|archive-date=2012-02-07

}}

The company formulated a separate product for this usage. A CV Technologies press release explained the change in the dosing regimen as a choice to take a two-tier approach application to Health Canada.{{cite web

|url= http://cnrp.ccnmatthews.com/cnrp_files/20070305-305CVQ.pdf

|title= COLD-fX Sets Record Straight: Health Canada's Approval of New Medical Claims Unchanged

|author=

|date= March 5, 2007

|publisher= CV Technologies

|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111002214300/http://cnrp.ccnmatthews.com/cnrp_files/20070305-305CVQ.pdf

|archive-date= October 2, 2011

|url-status= usurped

}}

In 2015, a class action lawsuit was launched that claimed that the manufacturer misled people.{{cite web|title=Cold-FX users were misled about top-selling cold and flu remedy, lawsuit alleges|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/cold-fx-users-were-misled-about-top-selling-cold-and-flu-remedy-lawsuit-alleges|website=National Post|access-date=23 June 2015|date=March 31, 2015}} A British Columbia Supreme Court judge refused to certify the class action, but did not rule on the claim itself.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/business/2016/11/16/cold-fx-class-action-lawsuit-tossed.html|title=Cold-FX class action lawsuit tossed - Toronto Star|website=thestar.com|date=16 November 2016 }} The appeal on this case was dismissed in 2016.{{cite web|title=B.C. Appeal Court rejects class action lawsuit aimed at Cold-FX|url=http://business.financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/b-c-appeal-court-rejects-class-action-lawsuit-aimed-at-cold-fx|website=financialpost.com May 2, 2018|date=2 May 2018 }}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.cold-fx.ca}}

Category:Herbalism