Expensive Sweeties! (Strepsils Lozenges)

Member Name: Squiggles

Product:	Strepsils Lozenges
Date:	12/06/01 (98 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Taste quite nice, Leaves mouth feeling fresher

Disadvantages: Expensive, Throat still hurts!

You know what it’s like, you wake up with your nose streaming and your throat feeling as if somebody is sticking little knives into it each and every time you swallow. What can you do to get some blessed relief? Well, maybe, just maybe, Strepsils Original (produced by Crookes Healthcare) could be the answer!

These are pleasant tasting large round lozenges that contain two anti-bacterial ingredients to fight infections causing sore throats and other mouth infections. They come in three flavours, original, menthol & eucalyptus and soothing honey & lemon. Plus, you can also now buy Strepsils Zinc Defence in a blackcurrant and lemon & lime flavours, which contain both zinc and vitamin C in addition. I much prefer the original taste wise (they remind me a bit of the original twisted cough candies you can buy!) but all contain much the same ingredients to ALLEGEDLY give much needed relief.

To take, simply dissolve one lozenge slowly in the mouth every two to three hours – there doesn’t seem to be a maximum dose stated anywhere on the packet! Children are also able to use this medicine but be careful, as these lozenges are large and smaller children could easily choke on them.

The two main active ingredients are Dichlorobenzyl Alcohol and Amyl-meta-cresol. The honey and lemon flavour also contain the ingredient Tartrazine that can cause problems and allergic reactions in asthma sufferers and anybody who finds themselves sensitive to aspirin, but reactions and side effects are very rare generally.

One thing you should be aware of is that these lozenges are packed with sugar, both glucose and sucrose. So might be best to brush your teeth well after taking them to avoid potential tooth decay! And of course, if your symptoms don’t improve after a couple of days, be sure to see your doctor, as further treatment might be necessary.

So, do these lozenges actually work? Well, to be honest, no, not really! Althou
gh pleasant to suck (ahem) I don’t actually find that my sore throat feels much better, but my mouth does feel fresher and cleaner. All they basically contain is disinfectant and antiseptic properties. I believe that gargling with plain salt water or an antiseptic mouthwash would be just as effective and considerably cheaper all round! But of course, this is a bit tricky to do if you’re on the move, so a packet of Strepsils in your bag or pocket might be useful instead.

Pricewise, Strepsils lozenges will set you back about £2.15 for a pack of 24. But if I were you, I’d stick with the salt water gargling, much cheaper and just as effective - even though it doesn’t taste half as nice!

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