Showing posts with label Medication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Medication. Show all posts

8/18/2022

Vicks VapoRub 50 g

I got a viral infection recently and I was having problems sleeping due to my nose breathing being difficult and having a dry cough. This jar brings back so many memories from childhood that I thought I'd give it a try now, decades later. The smell is strong and pervasive, therefore, it stinks any clothes; that being the case, I used old worn out pajamas while applying the product. The rub really helped to keep my breath flow and to sleep better. It didn't help with my coughing, so I supplemented this with lozenges from the same brand. I noticed that rubbing the product on my chest wasn't enough, so I also rubbed it on my throat so the vapors would reach my mouth and nose, and there was a noticeable improvement. A little dollop goes a long way. Good value for money.

7/24/2022

Vicks VapoDrops + Cough Orange Menthol 36 Lozenges

I've used these lozenges to recover from a viral infection with bouts of dry cough. It has really helped me to settle the coughing, especially in early mornings and late evenings. I have another packet of similar lozenges, and these ones are the ones that helped me. I like the mix of menthol and orange flavour as the orange masks the strong menthol and makes it more palatable to me. These lozenges have sugar and are sweet but not overly so. Great value for money. I will buy again.

1/04/2016

Clonea Antifungal Skin Cream

This is a generic brand for Canesten, a broad spectrum anti-fungal, the same product, the same concentration of active ingredient, but way cheaper. It works the same.

Any anti-fungal, especially if used on large skin surfaces (not just the feet), needs of at least three weeks use, one or so to get rid of the fungi, and two others to further guarantee you don't get them back. This being the case, you want to buy the cheapest possible product because you will using a few tubes. Canesten 50 gms costs about 10 bucks, while Clonea costs about 6. That is a remarkable difference in price for the same product.

The cream spreads well, absorbs well and, unlike other anti-fungals, I don't get an itch or burn reaction in my skin. The product does not smell and does not dry my skin either. I have found that anti-fungal creams work differently on different people, in my case this has worked great for me in the past.  

If you are going to travel for a long time and be walking barefoot in public or hotel pools, or backpacking and sharing showers, you want to have a tube of this at hand, just in case.  

12/16/2015

Gastrolyte Effervescent

A must have in any first aid kit and recommended for travellers.

I took tons of these tablets a few years ago when I go the stomach flu, but they are needed when you get any stomach upset involving diarrhoea, heavy colds and the flu. I tend to take a tube of these, or just a few, when I go on holidays and I know for sure that I will be doing lots of walking, trekking or strong physical exercise, as I can dissolve a tablet in a bottle of water and carry it with me ready to drink. Besides this sort of tube, when empty is most handy and you can reuse it to carry small things inside (small coins, small tools, other pills, rolled banknotes, whatever small) and rake them with you  safely. 

My only complaint is that the product is expensive, about 10 bucks the tube. That is not much if you are buying just a tube for a trip. However, if you are sick, especially with gastroenteritis, you will be taking lots of these. I wonder why the manufacturer hasn't thought of providing customers with bulk packages to save money and visits to the pharmacy in those cases. 

They come in at least two flavours and are quite pleasant to drink.

12/09/2015

Naturopathica GastroHealth Probiotics

Naturopathica GastroHealth in capsules is an every-day probiotic brand that will help you keep your intestinal flora happy like in a manicured garden. They will help you recover from common ailments (flu, fungal infections, or stomach flu for example) and are needed to help recover your system after having antibiotics (my doctor dixit.)

Although I use stronger probiotics from other brands when I am sick (as they have many more millions of probiotics per capsule and many more varieties  as well) these are my usual daily brand. Besides, I take a package of these any time I travel anywhere as they don't require refrigeration and, once your remove the package, you can pack them flat anywhere.

I always recommend any traveller taking a package of these, especially if travelling to parts of the world where hygiene is lacking or you are going to eat or drink unfamiliar food. You will certainly be happy to have them at hand if you get a runny belly or food poisoning, I can guarantee you that. 

Pro-biotics are never cheap, but these ones are usually cheaper than other brands or more discounted. 
 

12/06/2015

Dencorub Regular Strength Heat Cream

This is the last cream I would buy or recommend for the relief of back pain due to it strong long-lasting smell, limited heat sensation (at least on my body) and mild analgesic power. You get what you pay for really makes sense with this cream. Cheap but not good. 

First thing, it stinks like hell, that alone will put off many people off, nothing you would want to use if you have to go to work or just outdoors. The heat sensation is practically non-existent for me. If I put my hands over the treated area I could say it was a bit warmer than the rest, just a bit. Perhaps I should have used a bigger quantity of gel? The painkilling effect is slow and mild. A hot-water bottle gives me more relief. 

 The six bucks I paid for the cream tube were a waste of money.

Calamine Lotion

I have used every possible dermatological ointment and cream out there as I have a dermatitis-prone sensitive skin and I easily get burns and rashes.  

Calamine lotion is the only product that has been able to calm my itch when I got severe rashes or burns. Overall, I got amazing results from Calamine when the rest of my dermatological creams and lotions failed, at a fraction of the price and without the need of any prescription. It did not cure the cause of the itch, but it helped me to recover quicker.  It cooled down my skin (so good if when my skin was burning!) and improved the state of my skin (which deteriorates easily from scratching). Three-in-one sort of remedy. 

Calamine lotion, being liquid, is easily spread and absorbed and a little bit of product goes a long way. I quite like the smell of the product, too! It smells of vintage :) 
 
Calamine lotion is not a magic potion, though. Calamine dries the skin quite a bit, which can be an issue if you have a naturally dry skin or are using it on a part of your body that is a bit dry, as Calamine will leave your skin with a "tight" feeling.  Application can be messy, as well, as the brands I have used don't have a pump dispenser, something that is so  easy to fix and so very behind in design. Finally, when you apply the lotion, even though it absorbs quickly, it leaves a dry white coat on your skin (as if you had bathed in flour), quite noticeable if you are leaving home. The white 'dust' can also transfer onto your black clothes, so beware of which clothing you are using to apply. This is nothing really, when your skin is burning and you get a bit of relief.

The pros weigh always more than the cons, and Calamine is still a great product.

Bonjela Gel

I always buy Bonjela gel when I get a mouth ulcer. I like the gel transparent texture, the anisette flavour, the cooling effect, the fact that it soothes the pain quite fast, and that heals the ulcers perfectly. I have to say that Bonjela is not a magic potion and It does not heal ulcers immediately, but it works. This gel is not messy. You can apply it with your clean fingers or with a cotton bud. Great for travelling and for any first aid kit. 

12/05/2015

Sudocream healing cream

 I don't have children, but I came to know this product when preparing an emergency kit for a long trip last year, just because the mini-tube size was perfect, and it was just 2 bucks. It turned out that I got a rash while travelling and I used it, and I was very pleased with the results. At my return, I bought a big jar, which I still have at home. I have used Sudocream for minor burns in the kitchen, sunburn areas when I forgot to apply sun-block in summer, heat rashes of various nature or skin irritation of different sorts.  
The cream is actually an ointment, very thick and emollient, so it soothes and heals fast, and it is one of my top products for dermatitis.

However, this is not a glamourous cream. The smell is OK. Zinc being the main ingredient, you have to be careful when you apply it, as it can stain your clothes. Great to apply at home, before going to sleep or when wearing your fav daggy clothing.  

A great product overall that does the job and is good priced.  

Cenovis Vitamin C Chewable Tablets


I love anything chewable, especially if it has orange flavour. So this chewable Vitamin C tablets are my kind of thing, totally. I have used them periodically, especially in the winter months, to boost my immune system and help me when I have to alleviate a cold, or I am getting skin rashes or minor health problems. They are very easy to store and to carry around, great for travelling, and they are sugarless, something I love. They are good-priced, especially if you buy the jumbo size jar. The dose of Vitamin C in each table is medium (500 mgs), so I tend to take two at the time if I am feeling sick. My only concern with this product is the fact that the composition of the same is nowhere to be seen on the package or even on the website of the brand, where only the concentration of Vitamin C is mentioned. That is odd, to say the least, and not good if you have some dietary allergies or limitations and need to know what exactly is in any product you buy. 

Difflam Gel Extra Strength

I have noticed that every person is different with regards how some medicines work (or not) on them. Difflam has proven to be a great discovery for me. I have used other reputed anti-inflammatory brands before coming to use g Difflam and Difflam works better for me regarding speed in getting rid of the pain and also in decreasing the inflammation that causes the pain. Moreover, Difflam tubes are usually bigger and cheaper than those of other brands. Application is not messy as this is a traslucid gel that spreads easily and get absorbed easily, as well. 

Disprin Direct Chewables

I cannot live without these. 

I am a fan of Aspirin. It is my favourite analgesic and anti-inflammatory for mid-range pains, and I have never had a bad stomach reaction or sensitivity to these ones. 

I started buying Disprin chewable for travelling purposes a few years ago, as they can be taken on their own, without the need of water or liquid, in situations in which you don't want to drink any water that is not bottled. 

I like their lemony-ish taste, not bitter. 

They have become one of my staple multi-purpose painkillers (period pain, back pain, headaches, pre-flight DTV prevention treatment etc.). 

 I have them in my first-aid kit and I always carry a couple of them in my wallet and/or bag, as they are covered in foil and are easily to fit anywhere. 

My only complaint is that they don't make them in bigger packs and that the concentration of Aspirin is lower than the usual Aspirin tablets.

Panamax

This is one of the staples in my first-aid kit. 

A generic brand of Panadol, at a fraction of price, with the same concentration of active ingredient and budget price, Panamax does the job at a fraction of the price.

 I was first introduced to this "brand" by my GP, after I broke my elbow, some years ago, and I had to take lots of  tablets during the day. It has always worked for me since then.

The only downside of Panamax is that the tablets are not properly coated and are a bit large, so I find them more difficult to swallow than the usual Panadol and they leave a bitter after-taste when you swallow them.