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, skin ulcer and wounds and injuries. 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, Skin Ulcer and Wounds and Injuries
- Available as
- Capsule · Injectable
- Sold as
- 3 products — Galzin, Zinc Sulfate and Zinc
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
How Galzin is dosed
From the FDA label for Galzin (application NDA020458). Other zinc products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
The recommended adult dose is 50 mg as zinc three times daily (See CLINICAL TRIALS ). Since 25 mg t.i.d. is also an effective dose in children 10 years of age or older or in women who are pregnant, it may be advisable to use a dose of zinc to 25 mg three times a day, as long as the patient is compliant with therapy. The dose can be raised to 50 mg t.i.d. if monitoring indicates a lessening of control (see PRECAUTIONS: Monitoring Patients ). Patients should take zinc acetate on an empty stomach, at least one hour before or two to three hours after meals. For additional information, see PRECAUTIONS .
Everything below is the FDA label for Galzin (capsule). Zinc is also sold as injectable, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Galzin side effects
The following adverse reactions associated with the use of zinc acetate were identified from postmarketing reports. Because these reactions were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. Gastrointestinal disorders: gastric irritation Investigations: elevations of serum alkaline phosphatase, amylase, and lipase lasting from weeks to months suggesting pancreatitis; the levels usually return to high normal within the first one or two years of zinc therapy.
Who shouldn’t take Galzin
Zinc Acetate Capsules are contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to any of the components of the formulation.
Galzin drug interactions
Pharmacodynamic studies in Wilson’s disease patients failed to demonstrate drug interactions between zinc acetate (50 mg t.i.d.) and ascorbic acid (1 g daily), penicillamine (1 g daily), and trientine (1 g daily). Therefore, precautions for zinc acetate effects do not seem necessary when Wilson’s disease patients are taking vitamin C or approved chelating agents. However, no data are available to demonstrate that zinc acetate should be added to other drugs used for the treatment of Wilson’s disease patients or is safe.
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 39,701 reports naming zinc, and the FDA flagged 63% 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:
- fatigue3,809 reports
- nausea3,146 reports
- diarrhoea2,950 reports
- headache2,758 reports
- dyspnoea2,184 reports
- dizziness1,945 reports
- arthralgia1,942 reports
- asthenia1,908 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 section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 26, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Galzin?
Galzin (Zinc Acetate) is a copper absorption inhibitor used to treat Common Cold, 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 Zinc Oxide 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) ↗.