Difference in lemsip products.

Skeptic

Skeptic

Skeptic

Soldato
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*Please no medical advice as I am fully well now....ish!:p*

When I was at the peak of my flu I was taking the usual nonsense to feel alive and noticed a strange thing by Lemsip.

Their normal flu tablets contain the exact same 'active' ingredients (in both chemical name and quantity) as their supposed 'sinus directed' tablets. The sinus ones say 'targeted relief' and all that, but, and here is my question, how is that possible if they're exactly the same?

Perhaps unsurprisingly the ASDA own brand ones contain the same too.

Perhaps a chemist could explain how these might differ, or whether it's just marketing the same product differently! Needless to say I think it's a bit misleading!

PLEASE NO ADVICE I JUST WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWER!! :p:p
 
Isn't that a tiny bit illegal? Selling two separate products (for different prices) which are the same, but suggesting they're not!

I was just wondering whether there's more in the tablets which would, say, direct the ingredients towards the sinus'. I'm more of a brain specialist than a medical man :p
 
I never find any of those supposed cough medicines much use, dispersible aspirin does at least as well imo (all that doctors seem to reccomend), the cough medicines just make you smell of menthol (I think they call it?).
 
the active ingredients may be the same, but many of the other ingredients still have a considerable effect on the way the drug works, and those won't be the same.
 
Aod said:
the active ingredients may be the same, but many of the other ingredients still have a considerable effect on the way the drug works, and those won't be the same.
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Do you happen to know what the other ingredients might be? The two boxes in front of me now say under ingredients;

Lemsip max (normal) 500mg paracetamol / 6.1mg phenylephrine hydrochloride / 25g caffeine.

Sinus ones; the same as above.

Are there more ingredients in there than what are labeled? I know this isn't really an important question but your mind runs wild when ill! :o
 
Dr.EM said:
I never find any of those supposed cough medicines much use, dispersible aspirin does at least as well imo (all that doctors seem to reccomend), the cough medicines just make you smell of menthol (I think they call it?).
Click to expand...

Lemsip is awesome and lemon flavoured though. Drinking hot sweet lemon liquid is a good placebo even if nothing else.
 
fus said:
Do you happen to know what the other ingredients might be? The two boxes in front of me now say under ingredients;

Lemsip max (normal) 500mg paracetamol / 6.1mg phenylephrine hydrochloride / 25g caffeine.

Sinus ones; the same as above.

Are there more ingredients in there than what are labeled? I know this isn't really an important question but your mind runs wild when ill! :o
Click to expand...

because the pills aren't classified as food, they don't need to list all the other ingredients, only the "active" ones.

i can't say i know precisely what those ingredients may be though...
 
Actually yes, lemon and honey are useful too. Honey sort of lines the throat I think, can ease ticklyness. Lemon I've not really used, mabye it's just so bitter it takes your mind off it :p
 
It is because the different lemsip products need to have different product licenses. So even though the lemsip products are the same, if the drug company wants to target the Lemsip product for sinus problems (as they have), they have to get a new product authorisation (from the MHRA I think???). Just asked my dad whose a pharmacist.

In our pharmacies, our staff always say "Oh why do they have to bring another product out again!". It's a bit like the Nurofen range....
 
fus said:
Lemsip max (normal) 500mg paracetamol / 6.1mg phenylephrine hydrochloride / 25g caffeine.
Click to expand...

As an FYI: phenylephrine hydrochloride. Recent studies show this as being completely ineffective when taken orally. It only works when inhaled. Ergo - Lemsip is a uber rip off and just a placebo with pain killers with an interesting bonus of caffeine actually causing problems when attempting to reduce nasal swelling.

The stuff that is the shiznit for clearing nasal passages is Pseudo ephedrine.

Also everyone should check out the entertaining side effects of taking decongestants for more than twice a day 5 days in a row :p

Of course this comes with usual disclaimers*


*Research conducted on intarwebs, wikipedia may or may not have been primary sauce :p
 
What I love:

Neurofen £1.49

Contains: 200mg Ibuprofen

Sainsburys own Ibuprofen 35p

Contains: 200mg Ibuprofen

noobs!
 
krooton said:
What I love:

Neurofen £1.49

Contains: 200mg Ibuprofen

Sainsburys own Ibuprofen 35p

Contains: 200mg Ibuprofen

noobs!
Click to expand...

Yes, but there are some people who will always ask for Nurofen. It's a bit like Calpol and (Sainsbury's) own brand Paracetamol Suspension. How many people will ask for own brand Paracetamol Suspension, when everyone can/will only trust Calpol.
 
sachinbadiani said:
Pseudoephedrine-based products have unfortunately been restricted because of the stupid MHRA :@
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Can grab them easily enough over counter. It is in the Nurofen Cold & Flu (which is just Ibu + SRE, so can do cheap diy job with like Boots own :p).
 
Thats why I usually make my own.

1 x 500mg Paracetomol tablet.....8p
1 x spoonful of sugar........2p
1 x squeeze of Lemon juice.....3p
Hot water & teapsoon of honey..2p

Sometimes a can of coke afterwards (for the caffeine).

Roughly the same thing & much more controlled.

Anyone that buys cough medicine or modern cold cures needs their head seen too (no pun);)

BTW : Pseudoephedrine has been restricted because sales had increased tenfold over the last 10 years for one reason - not due to increased sinus congestion, but due to kiddies buying in bulk & making Methcathinone from it in the UK - but then again, most people wouldn't know that ;) You are right in saying you can't buy over a specific amount, but more importantly you can't buy it on it's own - it's always mixed with another chemical so can't be sythesised easily.
 
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