BUTTERING UP THOSE LUMPS!! (Buttercup Original Flavour Syrup)

Member Name: Emma1973

Product:	Buttercup Original Flavour Syrup
Date:	04/10/03 (94 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It works, For all the family

Disadvantages: The look , The taste

Aah, September, the kids are back to school and students are moving all over the country. As things mix up and move around they warp and grow! And for once I'm not talking about head lice!

No I'm on about the viruses, the colds and the bugs. All students will know about 'Freshers Flu' and the problems of Meningitis. But thankfully our house is just having the rounds of your common old garden variety virus. We've started off with temperatures and sores throats, and unfortunately for myself, onto my chest, where I now sound like I've swapped to 40 full tar unfiltered Camels a day. I couldn't chew gum when I was coughing as I couldn't work out which of the big chewy lumps in my mouth was the chewing gum! Oops, I hope you've eaten? You'll need food to strengthen you up and fight off these bugs!

So here I am led on my sofa with my quilt and my Lemsips and feeling thoroughly sorry for myself. But I just cant stop this coughing, when I got to the point where I started sounding like a 90yr old ex-miner with one lung and emphysema I decided to go to Asda and get something for it. I'd resisted so far because it all tastes awful, so hold my nose, swallow hard and get it over and done with.

I was greeted by a huge array of products which I managed to cut down to chesty cough products. Dithering around I finally went for one that my parents always bought, not Friars Balsam thankfully. 'Buttercup Syrup', its got a nice ring about it, flowers, grass and all round sense of light and calm. Surely this meant it would be delicate and pleasant, that and the fact it was the cheapest at £2.29 for a big bottle.

So I got it home, laid back down on the sofa, whinged to my partner for a spoon and opened the box, ready for a swig of my nectar elixir, ready for an afternoon free of raking my lungs. It didn't look the pleasant concoction that I was expecting. Its brown, pooey horrible brown, so browny ho
rrible even a thirsty dog would pass it up. As you may be able to tell I'm not looking forward to necking this stuff. Still nothing ventured, nothing gained!
I have to admit I had a drink on the side just in case it was too nasty for words.

I poured out my two teaspoons that were recommended (three times a day plus at bedtime, children over 2 1 teaspoon) Its not too treacly, but definitely thicker than most liquids.

Her it goes.....uuggghhh!! Its vile, vile, vile stuff! There is this overpowering taste of menthol, we're talking Wrigleys Ice with a little extra spice kid of taste. Now I have a light problem, I don't like mint, but other spicy minty flavour lovers may find it ok.
It wasn't soothing at first because it did seem to have something spicy in it, but did mellow after a while. Looking at the ingredients I can see why it has a distinct flavour. Its active ingredients are Squill liquid extract, I have no idea what that is, but I'm going to find out. There's also Capsicum tincture, if I understand correctly, isn't that peppers? Exactly how are peppers going to cure my cough? Its also got menthol, clove oil, peppermint oil, aniseed flavour, strong ginger tincture and most bizarrely chloroform!

Looking at this bizarre mixture I couldn't work out how it was going to soothe my cough, but it did, very effectively. The coughing stopped almost immediately and stayed away for quite a few hours, another bonus is that it doesn't make you drowsy. The fact that it is also suitable for children over the age of two means that it is perfect for the family medicine cabinet.

Just make sure you have a big bottle of squash to get rid of that horrible taste!

P.S

Squills are from the Lily family, the Common Squill is what we know as the bluebell.

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