Achooooooooo !!! (Lemsip Capsules)

Member Name: Lools_24

Product:	Lemsip Capsules
Date:	15/04/09 (162 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relieves aches and pains and sore throats quickly

Disadvantages: Wears off after about 3 hours

I need to put my disclaimer right at the start of this review I currently am suffering from a cold. In fact at this very moment in time I think it may be worse than a cold ...it could even be flu, so I need to apologise now if I sound like I am whining and generally just feeling sorry for myself (which I actually am ).

At some point in time we all get a cold so I hope you can read this and show some sympathy. Some suffer from a more vicious "unique" strain of cold viruses like Mr Lools for example, others less so and can struggle on and work through the pain barrier of a runny nose and sore throat, without feeling the need to take any form of flu "remedy". There are also those who are in a fortunate position to be able to take the day off from their usual duties and lie in bed/ on the sofa and have plenty of cups of tea and rest; in my opinion the best form of medicine for any cold.

I fall into another category; those who should take the day off but don't/ won't and have to go into work. My boss isn't the most sympathetic when it comes to viruses and in the last six months I have become victim to 4 cold/ flu viruses and three stomach bugs. I just don't want to be nicknamed "Sicknote Sally" and have to live with getting moaned at for having anymore days off sick.

I dragged myself out of bed at got myself ready for work in a dazed state. I could hardly swallow and yelped as I forced my aching body into my clothes. Mr Lools begged me not to go in but like a true soldier I battled on. I drove to work on this fresh misty morning with my car window down to try and clear my stuffy head but it was just not working and I was just making myself look windswept.

Once parked in the car park I looked in the mirror at myself (I looked a very sorry state and my hair was sticking up everywhere) and came to the conclusion I need to take some form of remedy for my cold as I simply would not make it through the day. I phoned the guy I sit next to at work and asked if he could pop into a shop on the way to work and get me something for my cold. He asked my preference of flu treatment and my response was the best thing they have as I can barely swallow.

At this point in my review I have generally moaned and whined about being ill but not actually explained the severity of my cold symptoms. My sore throat was the worst symptom. When I swallowed both sides of my throat throbbed. The glands on my neck also looked swollen (luckily I had put a polo neck on to hide them). My tongue also felt very sore and quite swollen therefore speaking was also an issue. My eyes were red and watery, my head was throbbing and my nose felt slightly rubbing but more blocked and as much as I tried to blow it this blocked up "hot feeling nose" remained. I think you may be getting the picture now but I also need to point out I was aching everywhere with my body temperature being boiling hot and then shivering the next. I was not expecting a miracle product to make all my symptoms disappear but I did require a product to seriously relieve my symptoms.

I was given Lemsip Max Cold and Flu Capsules (a pack of 8) which my kind colleague had bought from Boots. He kindly informed me I owed him £2.89 and then added that these are cheaper in Asda (£2.29) if I needed to purchase anymore.

The box states that the product (per capsule) contains 500mg of paracetamol fore relief of headache, sore throat, fever and aches and pains. Phenylephrine hydrochloride (6.1mg) as a decongestant for a blocked nose and 25mg of caffeine to relieve tiredness and sleepiness.

The directions for use are to swallow with water nd for adults and children over 12 two tablets to be taken every four hours, with no more that 8 capsules to be consumed in 24 hours. Children aged between 6 and 12 can take the Lemsip capsules one every four hours but no more than 4 capsules in 24 hours.

The capsules are not suitable if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, overactive thyroid, a peptic ulcer or have taken anti depressants in the last 14 days. They are also not suitable to take with other paracetamol products.

****Do they work???***

Do not expect a miracle from the Lemsip Cold and flu capsules as you are not going to feel completely better after taking the capsules. As stated on the pack, they only offer "relief" from cold and flu symptoms.

I quite quickly started to feel a lot brighter and able to concentrate on what I was doing. My headache lifted completely and my back pain was eased. My throat was still very tender when I swallowed but I found it a lot easier to breathe and I could actually have a drink of water without extreme pain when I swallowed. My nose felt less stuffy and bunged up but I did have to blow my nose a lot more after taking the capsules. In fact my sysmptoms had eased after about 20 minutes and I felt my brightest after about 30 minutes to one hour of taking the capsules.

My criticism of the product was that after about 2 and a half hours I started to feel really ill again and my symptoms, especially the aches and pains and the sore throat came back again. For hour and a half in which the product started wearing off I was literally counting down for the four hour barrier to pass so I could take another two capsules and benefit from more relief.

Overall I would say the Lemsip Max capsules do give relief from the symptoms but do not completely mask the symptoms. After taking the capsules I felt that I still was not fully effective at work but could actually pull myself together and get through a day at work, without feeling drowsy. I have taken Beechams cold and flu capsules when I was ill last year and they have completely knocked me out and I felt awful and drowsy all day despite the pack saying they were a non drowsy product. My advice would be plenty of rest, preferably in bed or on the sofa in a duvet... which is what I am hoping to do tomorrow!

Summary: Offers relief from cold and flu symptoms without making you feel even more drowsy