Zinc: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Zinc is a copper absorption inhibitor sold in the U.S. under 3 brand and generic names, for common cold, eye abnormalities and skin ulcer. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Copper Absorption Inhibitor
- Treats (across its forms)
- Common Cold, Eye Abnormalities and Skin Ulcer
- Available as
- Capsule · Injectable
- Sold as
- 3 products — Galzin, Zinc Sulfate and Zinc
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
How Zinc Sulfate is dosed
From the FDA label for Zinc Sulfate (application NDA209377). Other zinc products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Pharmacy Bulk Package. Not for direct intravenous infusion. ( 2.1 ) See full prescribing information for information on preparation, administration, and general dosing considerations. ( 2.1 , 2.2 , 2.3 , 2.4 ) Recommended Dosage and Monitoring ( 2.5 ) Zinc Sulfate Injection provides 1 mg/mL, 3 mg/mL or 5 mg/mL of zinc. Zinc Sulfate Injection in a concentration of 1 mg/mL is recommended for use in pediatric patients, particularly those weighing less than 12 kg. Individualize the dosage based upon the patient’s clinical condition, nutritional requirements, and the contribution of oral or enteral zinc intake. o Adults : The recommended adult dosage is 3 mg/day for metabolically stable patients, with potential need for a higher daily dosage in monitored patients with small bowel fluid loss or excess stool or ileostomy output. o Pediatrics: The recommended dosage in pediatric patients is shown by age and estimated weight. The dosages in the table are general recommendations intended for most pediatric patients. However, based on clinical requirements, some patients may require a higher dosage. Population Estimated Weight for Age Recommended Daily Dosage Pediatric Patients 10 kg and above 50 mcg/kg (up to 3 mg/day) 5 kg to less than 10 kg 100 mcg/kg Term Neonates 3 kg to less than 5 kg 250 mcg/kg* Preterm Neonates Less than 3 kg 400 mcg/kg *Term neonates have higher requirements in…
Everything below is the FDA label for Zinc Sulfate (injectable). Zinc is also sold as capsule, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Zinc Sulfate side effects
No zinc-related adverse reactions have been reported in clinical studies or post-marketing reports in patients receiving intravenously administered parenteral nutrition solutions containing zinc sulfate within the recommended dosage range. The following were identified in clinical studies or post-marketing reports. Because some of these reactions were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure: Adverse reactions with other components of parenteral nutrition solutions: Pulmonary embolism due to pulmonary vascular precipitates [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Vein damage and thrombosis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Aluminum toxicity [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Adverse reactions with the use of zinc-containing products administered by other routes of administration: Copper deficiency [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] Hypersensitivity reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] No zinc-related adverse reactions in patients receiving intravenously administered parenteral nutrition solutions containing zinc within the recommended dosage range. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact American Regent, Inc. at 1-800-734-9236 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch .
Who shouldn’t take Zinc Sulfate
Zinc Sulfate Injection is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to zinc [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] Known hypersensitivity to zinc. ( 4 , 5.6 )
Can you take zinc with…?
Source-cited answers for the combinations people actually ask about — each with a verdict and what to watch for.
Every zinc product we track (3)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Capsule | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Supplement | Injectable | No data | — | View → |
Combination products containing zinc
A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.
Zinc recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
What people report to the FDA about zinc
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 40,782 reports naming zinc, and the FDA flagged 62% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- fatigue3,905 reports
- nausea3,237 reports
- diarrhoea3,031 reports
- headache2,832 reports
- dyspnoea2,258 reports
- dizziness2,014 reports
- arthralgia1,995 reports
- asthenia1,954 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean zinc caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved September 26, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Zinc Sulfate?
Zinc Sulfate is a copper absorption inhibitor used to treat Common Cold, Eye Abnormalities, Skin Ulcer, Wounds and Injuries.
What kind of drug is zinc?
The FDA classifies zinc as a copper absorption inhibitor. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take zinc with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run zinc against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is zinc sold under?
We track 3 zinc-containing products in the U.S.: Galzin, Zinc Sulfate and Zinc. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does zinc come in?
Across the brands we track, zinc is currently marketed as capsule and injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic zinc?
Yes. Our catalog lists 2 generic zinc products alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Has zinc been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 3 recall records whose product description mentions zinc. The most recent: Globe Zinc Oxide Ointment USP 20% Skin Protectant (Oct 31, 2025). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.
What should I avoid while taking zinc?
Other medicines: we hold source-cited interaction answers for Can you take zinc and magnesium together?, Can you take zinc and copper together? and Can you take zinc with antibiotics?. This is what the FDA label and our cited sources say — it is not a complete list. Your pharmacist can check your own combination.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Zinc: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/zinc
- MLA
- “Zinc: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/zinc.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for zinc on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.