I've just come out of the other side of the flu, and after three weeks I think I've pretty much tried everything when it comes to painkillers, decongestants and so on! It's always in my interests to save as much money as possible, so when I saw the Tesco Max Strength Cold & Flu Relief Sachets for £1.77 for a pack of 10 (as opposed to the Lemsip Max Strenth Sachets at £3.49 for 10) I decided to give them a try.

So, the Tesco Max Strength Cold & Flu Relief Sachets are packaged in a very similar way to the brand leader, as supermarket own brands tend to be, and therefore they're in a small cardboard box styled in yellow and green and the small sachets of powder are very similar to Lemsip in looks and build.

Tesco Max Strength Cold & Flu Relief Sachets come in two flavours, Lemon and Blackcurrant, I went for the Lemon, being a traditionalist (and because I don't mind the Lemsip Lemon flavour). To make it you simply empty the sachet into a mug and pour in boiling water from the kettle and stir until dissolved. I tend to then either leave it 5 minutes to cool or I add a dash of cold water from the tap so I can drink it.

I'd say the flavour is slightly different to Lemsip, it's a bit less lemony and a bit gritty and powdery, but given that it's medication, it's not really supposed to be moreish as such and it's perfectly drinkable. The active ingredients are Paracetemol and decongestant, and for me, though it does help with the pounding sinus headache associated with flu, I found that Lemsip Max was much more effective in helping with the shivers and aches around the body. So I'd recommend Tesco Max Strength Cold & Flu Relief Sachets more for a bad cold than full blown flu, because my husband did end up buying me Lemsip and it was that which got me through the flu, not Tesco Max Strength Cold & Flu Relief Sachets.

Overall I will have to give them a 3 out of 5, personally I thought they were partially effective but not something I'd buy again even when the cost saving is taken into account, as the brand leader works much better for me on a heavy case of flu. Tesco Max Strength Cold & Flu Relief Sachets are half as effective hence being around half the price - this time, I've learned that you sometimes get what you pay for. Overall, when it comes to illness, I'll stick with the best.