2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
We've Moved Beyond The Smith Brothers - Thank Goodness!, March 11, 2007
This review is from: Cepacol Extra Strength Sore Throat Lozenges, Citrus - 18 Each (Health and Beauty)
Like most people of my generation, when I was young, a cough drop meant one of two possible brands. First choice was always Smith Brothers, with the famous logo of two Lincolnesque men in silhouette facing each other - appearing VERY professional and medicinal and, were they not available, Ludens. Both brands are still available and as was the case years ago, they still contain absolutely nothing that will sooth a sore throat any better than the hard cherry flavor candy that they are.
These days, we have better choices. For some, the largely placebo impact of Smith Brothers or Ludens along with the fact that sucking on a hard candy actually DOES provide some short-term relieve to sore throats by coating the throat with the syrup created by the candy dissolving in your mouth. For others, the newer version of non-medicinal throat lozenges are the Vitamin C Drops available at drug stored made by both major brands (Vicks, for example) and Store Brands (Longs, Walgreens, etc.) Like the cough drops of my childhood, these provide, essentially, the dissolved sugar coating along with an added dos of Vitamin C - regarded by many to be helpful in helping a cold run it's course more quickly. (Thank you, Linus Pauling!)
There is, however, another choice available OTC (Over The Counter, i.e., without prescription), and these are a type of throat lozenge that actually contains some amount of local anesthetic (most often, benzocaine) which actually numbs the inside of your throat for a while, actually relieving the soreness for a period of time.) The two most common brands are Cepacol and Chloraseptic. Both contain two `active' ingredients (Smith Brothers and Ludens contain none), Menthol, a standard slightly numbing ingredient, and benzocaine, a topical anesthetic related to the Zylocaine (Novocaine) used by your dentist to numb your mouth against the likelihood of pain during a dental procedure. The differences in the two brands are the amount of Benzocaine. Chlorospeptics have 6mg per lozenge, while Cepacol has 10. Therefore, as you might expect, Cepacol lozenges provide the best and longest lasting relief from the painful reality of a bad sore throat.
Real illnesses call for real medicine. More pain calls for more of it. The taste is strong, but so is the effect. Give `em a try!
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