For the last week I have been suffering from a sore throat. No big deal, you might think. But that was until last night.... Without hardly any warning, I went from having a sore throat to what felt like a severe throat infection. I was in agony and could barely swallow. Of course, I had taken pain killers (paracetamol mostly) but nothing seemed to dull the pain. The doctor had already put me on a course of penicillin (the same day, in fact), but it takes a while for it to get to work anyway. Out of desperation, I rang NHS Direct and spoke to a nurse who suggested I use Ibuprofen. Typically, we had none in the house, but then I remembered that Sainsbury's was open until 10pm. Thank God for late-night supermarkets! I took a taxi to my local store and, after a little deliberation, opted for a packet of Nurofen Caplets.

PACKAGING

The box was similar to that pictured above, but with a few differences. The main difference is that the packet I bought contains 16 tablets - or 'caplets' as they like to call them - not 12 as the picture above shows. The box also looks a bit different. Rather than a pattern of white lines, there is a silver tick-like mark which runs diagonally across the box and through the ring of coloured, concentric circles. Some of the wording on the box is also different.

PRICE

The box of 16 Caplets cost me £1.95, which is a lot more than you would expect to pay for a box of paracetamol or Anadin, but not surprising because Nurofen contains the stronger, pain killing ingredient, Ibuprofen.

Other varieties of Nurofen you can buy are:

Nurofen Pain Killer (16 Tablets) = £1.59*
Nurofen Pain Killer (12 Tablets) = £1.25*
Nurofen Liquid Capsules (16) = £2.59*
Nurofen For Kids (16 capsules) = £3.99*
Nurofen Meltlets (12) = £2.55*

* Sainsbury's price

WHAT CAN NUROFEN CAPLETS TREAT?

Nurofen Caplets work at the site of pain. This means that they can quickly relieve pain, as well as reduce inflammation and lower temperature. According to the box, Nurofen Caplets can treat a variety of different pains, including:

* Headaches
* Period Pain
* Dental Pain
* Migraine
* Backache
* Muscular Pain
* Rheumatic Pain
* Neuralgia
* Cold & Flu Symptoms (e.g sore throats and aching muscles)

SUITABILITY & DOSAGE

Nurofen Caplets are suitable for adults, the elderly and children over 12 years of age. Children under the age of 12 should use Nurofen for Kids or other pain killing products. It is recommended that you take 2 caplets with water and, if necessary, 1 or 2 caplets every 4 hours. However, you should NOT exceed 6 caplets in 24 hours.

As with any pain killer, there are also certain health warnings. If you have or have had a stomach ulcer in the past, it is recommended that you do not take Nurofen. Furthermore, if you are allergic to any of the ingredients or aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, do not take Nurofen. And finally, Nurofen Caplets are not recommended for women in the last 3 months of pregnancy.

THE CAPLETS

The individual caplets are around 1.5cm in length, 0.5cm in width and shaped like capsules. They are sugar-coated which makes them easy to swallow, and each caplet contains 200mg of Ibuprofen as well as other pain killing ingredients.

MY EXPERIENCE

As recommended, I took 2 caplets with a glass of water. Because I was in so much pain, it seemed like an age for the tablets to kick in, but in actual fact, it was probably only around 30 minutes. Compared to the paracetamol which I had taken previously, the pain killing ingredients seemed to get to work very quickly and I was surprised at just how effective the pain relief was. The pain I had swallowing went completely and stayed away for at least 3 hours afterwards. In fact, it might have been longer than that, but I wasn't timing it!

In addition, I did not suffer any side-effects from taking Nurofen Caplets. The paracetamol that I had previously taken seemed to upset my stomach, but Nurofen seemed a lot more gentle and did not cause me any problems. However, even though I found the tablets quite gentle, it is important to bear in mind that some people may have reactions to them. If you develop stomach pains, bleeding, fever or allergic reactions, like asthma or a skin rash, it is best to stop taking the tablets and consult a doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible.

CONCLUSION

Overall, I am very impressed by Nurofen Caplets, and despite the price, will definitely be buying them again. They certainly get to the source of pain quickly and beat pain fast, keeping it away for longer than most other pain killers. Admittedly, they are more potent than other pain killing drugs, like paracetamol, but from my experience, they also seem gentler on the stomach. I am just waiting for the penicillin to kick in now so I can get rid of this horrible infection!

RECOMMENDED
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