Background:
At the moment I'm suffering from a bit of a cold from the sudden temperature change and so I went to my foolproof which is always, since I was very young, Lemsip.

The product:
To produce a cup of Lemsip you take out a sachet of the stuff and rip off the top. Its then a case of empty out the contents of the sachet into the cup and simply pouring hot water over it. I then tend to stir the cup and wait for it to cool a little. Most people drink it while still quite hot as this is probably when its most effective at soothing a sore throat, but I'm not much of a hot drinks drinker so like I said I patiently wait. You can also buy Lemsip in tablet form now but I probably prefer the drink version as its always good to stay hydrated when sick and this way I make sure I do, and sometimes swallowing tablets can be a little painful, especially when you already have a sore throat.

The blackcurrant flavour, as you can probably tell, tastes blackcurrant like. It is very sweet and especially the last sip of a cup, which is something I've found with every flavour of Lemsip I've ever tried. The soothing effect is pretty quick and it I do more often than not feel better than before. Its not the same as getting better and it is only a quick fix but I must say Lemsip is probably one of the best and most reliable cold and flu medicines I've tried.

It is effective on removing the symptoms of headaches and body aches, fevers, sore throats and blocked nose. The last I find is probably easiest to remedy as its not necessarily the drink alone that cures it, but also the steam from the hot drink itself.

How to take and what it includes:
For adults and children aged 12 years and over, one sachet should be taken every four to six hours as necessary, up to a maximum of four sachets in 24 hours.

Lemsip contains 500mg of Paracetamol and is suitable for use of those over the age of 12. It also contains Phenylephrine Hydrochloride which causes the blood vessels in your sinuses to contract and narrow, thereby decreasing blood flow into the linings of the nose and sinuses. This lessens the blocked up feeling you get and also reduces the production of mucus, helping to relieve a blocked nose.

Price and availability: Lemsip in their sachet forms (the kind I prefer) cost around £4.20 which is pretty much standard for these kinds of products. You can usually buy them from pharmacies such as Boots and Superdrug, as well as some supermarkets in their healthcare sections.

Conclusion:
Overall this is definitely a product I would recommend as it is effective as it can be in alleviating the symptoms of a cold or flu. While it is not able to completely remove the illness, thats to be expected, so I wouldn't call it a fault of the product. The blackcurrant flavour tastes pleasant and isn't too difficult to swallow unlike some medicines. It is fast acting and lasts for about an hour which is reasonable I'd say. This is a product I always make sure to have tucked away in my medicine cabinet and will continue to do so.