Premium treatments like Lemsip All-In-One Max Strength cost up to £7.30 for 16 tablets, whereas equivalent generic paracetamol retails for as low as £0.35. Both options provide an identical 500mg dose of rigorously tested paracetamol to alleviate pain and reduce fever. Furthermore, secondary additives like the decongestant phenylephrine are largely broken down before entering the bloodstream, leading US regulators to propose banning the ingredient from oral remedies. Medical experts warn that combining these multi-ingredient preparations with standard paracetamol can lead to accidental overdosing.
Key points
Expensive multi-symptom medications provide little therapeutic advantage over significant…: Expensive multi-symptom medications provide little therapeutic advantage over significantly cheaper generic paracetamol options.
Added components such as phenylephrine offer questionable medical value because they brea…: Added components such as phenylephrine offer questionable medical value because they break down prior to reaching the bloodstream.
Patients should not mix multi-symptom cold pills with basic paracetamol because combining…: Patients should not mix multi-symptom cold pills with basic paracetamol because combining them risks an accidental overdose.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
- Published
Your throat's painful, your head throbs and your blocked nose has kept you awake all night. It's that time of year again - flu season - and you'll try anything to feel normal.
But is that pricey max strength flu remedy really any better than a basic box of painkillers?
"The big brands have been around for a while, they've been tested, and there are adverts on the TV saying they're really good," says Prof Jayne Lawrence, head of the pharmacy division at the University of Manchester.
"But in reality, there's very little difference. Personally, I'd always go for the cheaper ones - and they’ve also been tested."
The trade association representing over-the-counter medicine makers says familiar brands can reassure shoppers and help them find the right product on crowded supermarket shelves.
Cold and flu drugs fall into three broad camps: household names such as Lemsip and Sudafed; supermarket own-label alternatives; and single-ingredient medicines containing paracetamol or ibuprofen.
The difference in price can be striking.
A packet of 16 Lemsip All-In-One Max Strength tablets retails at £7.30, more…
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