Ulcers Beware! (Bonjela)

Member Name: ian22

Product:	Bonjela
Date:	23/01/06 (229 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Soothing, does the job

Disadvantages: Quite expensive

So far, the start of 2006 has been a stressful time for me - and we're only three weeks into the New Year! With a host of family problems, including having my Dad in hospital, my own health has inevitably suffered a bit of late and, as a direct result, I have suffered from a series of nasty mouth ulcers. I used to have a lot of ulcers as a child, but seemed to grow out of them.

Back then, the doctor prescribed me a cream (the name of which I cannot remember) to put directly onto the ulcer. Of course, a few mouth ulcers hardly warrants a trip to the doctor, so I thought I'd wait and see what I could find in the pharmacy section of my local Morrisons store. I very quickly found tubes of Bonjela, although costing £2.27 for a 15g tube, these were quite expensive! Despite the price, I thought I may as buy one and see if it worked...

** THE PRODUCT **

As I just said, Bonjela comes in tube format and the tube itself comes in a blue, clinical-looking box, with 'bonjela' written across the front in bold, white lettering. There are two main varieties available - Sugar Free and Cool Mint. I opted for the Sugar Free one as this was the cheaper of the two varieties.

** HOW IT WORKS **

The blurb on the box claims that Bonjela is 'clinically shown to aid the healing and relieve the pain of mouth ulcers'. Sounds good, but how does it actually work...? Well because Bonjela is a topical oral jel, it can be applied directly onto the mouth ulcer and therefore gets to work straight away. It has a pain relieving formula which not only reduces inflammation but fights infection at the same time.

** WHO CAN USE IT? **

The great thing about Bonjela is that almost anyone can use it. It is suitable for children from 4 months old and can be used by adults too. The only difference comes in the way you use it. Young children should only apply half a centimetre of Bonjela to the sore area, whereas adults can use up to one centimetre. It is recommended that you use the jel once every three hours at the most and no more than six doses should be applied in any given 24 hour period.

People wearing dentures can also use Bonjela. The directions are similar, but it is recommended that the jel be applied at least thirty minutes before reinserting the dentures and should not be applied directly to dentures.

However, Bonjela is NOT suitable for those who are allergic to salicylates or those taking medicine for blood clots/gout. Pregnant women should also use it with care and not continue use if they develop other symptoms or side-effects.

** MY EXPERIENCE **

I have been using Bonjela for a little while now and recommend it. As soon as you apply it to the sore area, it quickly cools and soothes. I think it temporarily numbs the affected area, but this sensation doesn't last long. The jel tastes quite pleasant but it is difficult flavour to describe exactly. It is like a mild aniseed flavour with a hint of mint - nothing too overpowering! The taste, though, is not really that important. The most important thing is that the jel actually works. Anyone who has suffered from mouth ulcers will know that they do not go away willingly! Even though mine did not vanish overnight, they definitely felt a lot more bearable after using Bonjela and were gone within a couple of days.

** VERDICT **

Overall, in spite of the price, I have found Bonjela to be an effective cure for mouth ulcers and would definitely use it again.


Made by Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd.

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