I'm sitting at home today, huddled in blankets, with a January cold. And feeling thoroughly down in the dumps and not at all Elle Woods-like, let me tell you! However, without this product, I doubt very much whether I'd actually be able to sit at the computer at all - I'd probably have to go to bed, and would get no writing at all done today.

Lemsip are sachets of flu remedy. You pour them into a mug and add hot water, producing a steaming hot lemony drink. The taste isn't something you'd go out of your way for, but it's not unpleasant (unlike Beecham's Flu Plus, which I personally found made me feel more, not less, sick!). For those that dislike lemon flavours, it is also available in blackcurrant.

Lemsip has two active ingredients, Paracetamol, an analgesic which helps to ease those coldy aches and pains, and phenylephrine hydrochloride, a decongestant which relieves stuffy noses and pressure-based headaches. It also has lashings of Vitamin C and contains aspartame and sucrose for sweetness. Personally, I find it the best remedy for relieving cold symptoms on the market. The hot drink is comforting, the lemon soothes your throat, and the active ingredients work to make you feel altogether more sparky. I can't explain why, but I find that its combination of ingredients work far more effectively than Paracetamol and decongestant taken separately at fighting off that heavy, sick feeling. (It may just come down to the sucrose and the hot water hydrating and refreshing me!)

The only downside is that this product is about ten times more expensive than a box of Paracetamol - about £3 for 10 sachets, whereas a pack of pills will set you back around 30p. Also, please be careful when taking Paracetamol based medicine. This bit's important so listen up: this is a drug, not a squash drink, and you can overdose on it in exactly the same way that you can OD on pills. Please be very careful not to take more than the recommended dose - in this case, you shouldn't drink more than 4 sachets of this in 24 hours. Those with high blood pressure or those taking MAOI antidepressants should also avoid this product.