I Recently Had A Cold (very Sore Throat ) Runny,

Posted on Thu, 7 Mar 2019

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 7 Mar 2019 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : I recently had a cold (very sore throat) runny, clear nose fluid and no fever. I took ZICAM which contains zinc for 3 days. Currently, I have an insatiable thirst and dry mouth for two weeks. I fell drowsy and my vision is slightly blurred. I have taken no other medication during this time. Could the zinc have damaged my salivary glands? What about the other symptoms? Note I have also lost weight (10lbs).

Thanks,
Pete

Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Please get fasting Blood sugar, TSH, T4, CBC, CMP tests

Detailed Answer:
Hello Pete,

The first thing that comes to mind is that you may be having hyperglycemia, which causes insatiable thirst, dehydration, weight loss, and a variety of other problems including weakness/fatigue.

So, it is time for you to go in to be seen in person and get your blood sugar tested. An "A1C" may not provide good information because it looks at blood sugar over 2-3 months, and so it may not give a good picture of what is going on now. I recommend a fasting blood sugar level.

Zinc excess would not be the first thing to consider. Usually, that causes upset stomach/stomach pain, diarrhea, funny taste in the mouth.

I do think you should have, in addition to a blood sugar test, a complete blood count, to see if there is some sort of persistence of infection, and a comprehensive metabolic panel (chemistry panel) to see if there is an abnormality in electrolytes. Also a thyroid panel, as abnormalities of the thyroid can come on after a virus (viral thyroiditis) and cause weight loss and fatigue.

Please let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee