Cheap and effective

My newest post is a product review for Asda Chesty cough syrup...

Whenever I am suffering from a cold I always end up with a cough to go with it and it always ends up being a chesty one. I think having whooping cough when I was young means I am prone to getting the chesty cough rather than the tickly one. After watching a programme several months ago about medicines and the ingredients in them I learnt that the own brand drugs are just as good, if not batter than the named ones. Therefore I had no problem in buying the Asda own brand cough medicine.

The medicine comes in a 300ml bottle which is made from glass and a very dark brown colour. There is a white screw top on the bottle but this is not child proof. The label on the bottle is a white and deep pink colour and it has the Asda logo and the product name on the front and the directions and warnings on the back.
The medicine is supposed to be cherry flavoured, there is a faint hint of cherry but no where near enough to make this actually taste nice. I know they say what tastes bad is good for you but this really is bad! The dosage for children over 12 years of age and adults is 1-2 5-10ml spoons every 2-3 hours. No more than 4 doses should be taken in every 24 hours. Children under 12 should not take this medicine.

I have found that the stated does is good. I have 2 5ml spoonfuls at one time and I am finding that this dose will last me for about 5 hours and only then am I needing to take more. Hubby has had the same results and he sometimes does not need to take another dose for even longer. I find that this is ideal for taking about half an hour before bed as it means I get a good nights sleep and am not waking up from coughing all of the time.
The medicine is very easy to take, the liquid is a good consistency so very easy to pour but it is not overly runny so it all dribbles off the spoon. The smell is slightly off putting but if you try not to think of this you should be able to take the medicine with ease. I do instantly feel is putting a smooth coating down my throat as it goes down and this does actually feel quite nice for the few seconds it is there before I have to have a drink to get rid of the taste!

The ingredients for the medicine include:-
Guailenesin 100mg per 5ml, Glucose, Methylhydroxybenzoate E218, Citric Acid, E330, Sodium Citrate E331, Sodium Saccharin E945, Carmoisine Red E122, Caramel E150c, Cherry Flavour, Ethanol and Purified Water.

The bottle does contain several warnings and some of these include not giving this to children under 12, not to be used if you have a sugar intolerance or alcohol problem. Pregnant and breast women should seek advise before using. I do strongly recommend that you fully read the back of the bottle if you suffer from any medical condition before using this cough medicine. There can be side effects from using this medicine which may include gastro-intestinal discomfort, nausea or vomiting and if you do suffer from any of these then you should see your doctor.
The bottle does last for a good amount of time and the one which I last bough a few days ago has just under 3 years on the best before date. The medicine is an Asda own brand so it is only available to buy in their store. You can buy this on the shelf and not have to go to the pharmacy. The 300ml bottle will cost you £2 and it currently is the only size they do.

I a happy to give this product the full 5 stars despite the taste. It works extremely well and after only a few minutes of taking it, it means I can get a good nights sleep, and I can just about put up with the taste. A great cheap alternative to the branded named medicines.