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Superdrug Hayfever & Allergy Relief
by xxfoxyredxx
I suffer with really, really awful hayfever. I love the warm, sunny days and being outdoors however hayfever really can spoil things for me with my eyes bulging out my head, itching and running all over the place, I get a runny nose and have sneezing attacks and add to that my eyes feel so heavy that I feel constantly tied and I suffer ... with hives. For years I have had to take tablets, use nasal sprays and eye drops and use a cream on my skin, its' a lot of hard work just to brace outdoors I can tell you!
These Superdrug tablets I bought when I was caught on the hop and wasn't expecting to start suffering with hayfever. I had gone into to town very early on a coolish day and thought nothing of it until the sun blazed down and it was suddenly gorgeous outside and I couldn't stop sneezing or itching and my eyes were running terrible. I needed something very fast as I was later going to a huge open air market and I felt so rough all I thought I was going to be able to do was go home to bed....not an option for an avid shopper like me so into Superdrug I went and bought a box of these Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets and for a pack of 7 (7 days supply) they cost me just £1.19 (A box containin 14 of these costs £1.59) which I thought was really cheap and these contain Cetirizine Hydrochloride which is the ingredient that works best for me in experience when it comes to my hayfever.
The Packaging:
The tablets come in a mainly white and bright green cardboard, squarish box and on the front of the box we are clearly told that they are indeed Superdrug Hayfever & Allergy Relief 'Cetirizine Hydrochloride', One A Day 'Relief from hayfever and skin, dust and pet allergies and there is a cross shown which is filled with a grassy field with daisy's in it and one of the tablets are shown on that and of course we are told that there are 7 tablets in the box. On the back of the box other information listed includes being told what the tablets can be used for, directions for use are given, warnings and ingredients are given and contact details for the manufacturer are stated. Inside the box you get a large leaflet again telling us yet more information about the tablets and the tablets come in a white plastic blister style of tray which is silver foil backed and easy to push the tablets out of.
The Tablets:
These tablets are very small, oblong and white in colour and they are ever so simple to take with a big drink due to them being so tiny! They are suitable for anyone over the age of 6 years old to take (with some exceptions of course and those exceptions are listed on the box and on the leaflet provided) and you simply take one a day, or as needed.
I find these rather good I have to admit which I am still surprised about to be honest due to the price I paid for them!
They take about half an hour from taking one to get working on me, which is a bit longer than I am used to however they stop me sneezing pretty much completely, slow the running down of my nose and allow me to be able to breath a bit more easily and my sinus's don't hurt so much. They stop my eyes itching and feeling so heavy and these can also be helpful to my skin problems and although my hives still come the itching is rather eradicated.
The effects of these tablets last me a good few hours though not 24 hours just 12 for me really and I have to admit that I think these are rather good, there are better out there but they do cost more than these do, some considerably so as well.
These I think are best for people with not too bad hayfever, pet, house or dust allergies and for people mildly suffering and for rashes, itching and hives, for me they are quite good for my itchy skin though I do feel that I need to use my prescribed cream as well so on their own they are not the best for me but they get me out of trouble I just wish they worked a bit quicker and were a bit stronger.
Only available from Superdrug stores. Read the complete review |
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Sainsburys Childrens Dry Cough Syrup
by Chippytarka
One of the most annoying things that has happened over the last 12 months is the amount of sickness we have all experienced in my household. Thanks to my sons first step into education by starting nursery last September, hes picked up, and passed, so many colds I find it amazing. This has had an unexpected effect in regards to the old ... credit card as Ive bought so many different medicines I feel I could have opened a chemist myself!
Why did I choose this one?
I choose this because both my children had all the usual and typical symptoms of a cold, especially the coughing thing. When I was looking at the branded cough mixtures, suitable for both of their ages, they were all £2.50 plus mark. I went for this one because it cost ( at the time ) £1.50, and after speaking to one of the assistances working in the pharmacy department she said that this cough mixture was very similar to the branded versions just without the nice packaging, so I thought I would see how it goes.
How does it look?
Nothing special about it. Doesn't come boxed. Comes in a clear glass bottle with screw top lid which you have to push down and turn to open. Label is basic, mostly blue in colour and states clearly on the front what the product is ' Childrens Dry Cough syrup ', what it does ( relieves dry and tickly coughs and sore throats ) and age of use ( one plus ).
On the back it has directions of use and dosage, ingredients and warnings.
Ingredients
Active Ingredients: Glycerin 0.75g per 5ml.Other Ingredients: Sucrose, Glucose, Citric Acid E330, Blackcurrant Flavour, Anthocyanin E163 and Purified Water.
How to use
For oral use only. Not suitable for children under the age of 1.
Shake the bottle before use.
Dosage:
Children over 12 years and adults: Take one or two 5ml spoonfuls.
Children from 6 to 12 years: Take one 5ml spoonful.
Children from 1 to 5 years: Take half a 5ml spoonful.
Can be taken up to 4 times daily.
How do I find it?
Packaging for me isn't important when it comes to buying something that hopefully will help my children feel better, but the look of the cough mixture isn't appealing. The colouring of the label, the design, it simply doesn't stand out like the major brands so you wouldn't really notice it unless you were really concentrating.
I found giving this to my children very easy and very little fuss came from them when they had to take it. It was pleasant to take because it tasted nice, very sweet blackcurrant flavour, not medicinal in taste at all. Just the right thickness so it wasn't too runny and all over the place and stayed on the spoon till it was shoved in the mouth. They loved the fact its brightly coloured, a very dark and deep red.
Most important thing is it did what it was supposed to, which helped soothe their throats as they were sore due to all the coughing. Products like this don't cure, but are supposed to take the edge of symptoms which it did.
I liked the fact both my children, although different ages, could use this product rather than having to buy two different versions to cater to two different ages.
I would have preferred if the syrup was sugar free but as the assistant said, they wouldn't be taking vast amounts of the stuff for along period of time so I took that into consideration.
My kids might have loved the colour, but I found it a pain when it spilled on their clothes or on the floor. Didn't stain permanently but still not pleasant.
Would have liked to see maybe a different flavour just in case they didn't like this one and I had another alternative.
Overall, I felt this product performed and did what it said on the label which was ' relieves tickly coughs and soothes sore throats '. Great price at £1.50 ( currently at £1.30 ), especially since both my children tend to get sick at the same time, if I do go through lots of the stuff its not going to be expensive. Would buy again. Read the complete review |
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Boots Paracetamol Extra (Caffeine, Paracetamol)
by thehonesttruth
I've been fairly unwell for the last week or so, thankfully it's tailing off now, but at the start of the illness, not only did I have a huge headache, as well as aching muscles, but also had almost no energy left. I asked my boyfriend to pick me up some paracetemol and some ibuprofens on his way back from work, and he came home with ... these Boots paracetemol Extra, which not only contain paracetemol but also caffeine to give you a little energy boost.
These tablets are suitable for ages 12 and over, with a recommended dose of two tablets every 4 hours, and no more than 8 tablets per 24 hours. Obviously, you should take these in accordance with the instructions within, and as with all medications, should seek medical attention in case of accidental overdose. There are 16 in a pack, costing 2.25, and each tablet contains each Caffeine 65mg and Paracetamol 500mg.
The tablets are white and lozenge shaped, which I find quite easy to swallow, though I did wash them down with a little water. I did find that (in common with most paracetemol tablets, the first dose took a while to kick in, perhaps half an hour or so before I started feeling any relief, after which the pain gradually lessened a lot, with subsequent doses extending the low pain period. I didn't really feel any energy boost from the caffeine - no sense of feeling more alert. However, I did find that when I tried to sleep off the tiredness, I simply wasn't able to nod off. This may have been down to the caffeine, or may just have been down to me being generally uncomfortable, achy and congested.
Whilst these tablets worked on the pain, I don't feel they performed any better or worse than any other paracetemol tablets and they certainly are a lot more expensive than the ones available at my local shop. They do include caffeine but I didn't feel this added ingredient helped me in any way, and in fact it may have hindered my rest and recovery. Therefore, whilst I would recommend these as a painkiller, I'm only awarding them 3 stars. Read the complete review |