One of the things I have in the medicine cupboard at ALL times, is a box of Lemsip sachets. Along with Lotus Olbas tissues, I find that a nice hot Lemsip is the best way to relieve the symptoms of a nasty cold. I noticed we were running low recently, so told my husband to pick some up some more supplies from the supermarket.


I wasa bit miffed though, when he returned and I found he had spent £5 on a box of Lemsip Max Breathe Easy. The normal Lemsips usually cost less that £3 a box, so I wondered what was so great about this particular variant that warranted the extra price hike.


I didn't have to wait long to find out. A couple of weeks later, I had a scratchy throat and the beginnings of a cold. I reached in the cupboard for a sachet of Lemsip.


Lemsip Max comes in a green and red card box containing 10 sachets of powder. To use the product, you empty one sachet into a cup or mug and pour on hot water from a kettle, stirring well to make sure the powder is dissolved. Adults and children over 12 can take one sachet every 4-6 hours. The product is not for children. You must not take more than 4 sachets in 24 hours.

The first thing I noticed was a powerful menthol hit as soon as I took a sip of the hot liquid. It was a bit like drinking Olbas Oil! The powerful mentholated drink made my airways feel clearer and soothed my throat. The strong menthol taste did come as a bit of a shock, and did take some getting used to, but I found it really good to inhale the vapours as I drank. This is a medicine you can really feel working and you instantly feel "picked up" after you have finished drinking it. The menthol flavour may not be to everyone's taste, but to be honest, when you are bunged up with a cold, you are lucky if you can taste anything anyway.


The active ingredients in Lemsip Max Breathe Easy are 1000mg of Paracetomol per sachet, which relieves aches and pains and fever, and 12.2mg of Phenylephrine Hydrochloride, which is a decongestant, stopping you from feeling so "bunged up". The product also contains Vitamin C, which has been recognised to boost the immune system.


The box contains a warning not to take with any other paracetamol containing products. Pregnant women should consult a doctor before using the product.


The product is manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser, who are based in Hull, UK. They have an e-mail address at lemsip@reckittbenckiser.com


Personally, I don't know whether the added menthol warrants the extra cost, and when I stock up again, I will probably revert to the cheaper regular Lemsip. If you are lazy, and can't be bothered filling a seperate bowl with boiling water and Olbas Oil to inhale the steam, this product is for you, as it does two jobs in one, working as an steam inhalant and a medicinal drink.


This is a product that really works and is excellent for relieving symptoms such as sore throat and bunged up nose. I like to take one before bed to make me feel more comfortable and help me sleep easier, and first thing in the morning to get rid of that "grotty" feeling you get when you wake up with a bad cold and all the phlegm has settled at the back of your throat (sorry, hope you weren't eating!).


This is definitely more effective than taking a paracetamol tablet on its own. I award it 4 dooyoo stars for effectiveness, and minus one for the cost, which I feel is a little high.