Strepsils is a brand of

throat lozenge A throat lozenge (also known as a cough drop, sore throat sweet, troche, cachou, pastille or cough sweet) is a small, typically medicated tablet intended to be dissolved slowly in the mouth to temporarily stop coughs, lubricate, and soothe irri ...

s manufactured by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

– Dutch company

Reckitt Benckiser Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC, currently branded as Reckitt, formerly known as Reckitt Benckiser, is a British multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom. It is a producer of health, hygiene and nutrition prod ...

. Strepsils throat lozenges are used to relieve discomfort caused by mouth and throat infections.

Ingredients

The primary active ingredients are dichlorobenzyl alcohol and

amylmetacresol Amylmetacresol (AMC) is an antiseptic used to treat infections of the mouth and throat. It is used as an active pharmaceutical ingredient in Strepsils, Cēpacol, Gorpils, Cofsils and Lorsept throat lozenges, typically in combination with dich ...

, with some formulations containing

ascorbic acid Ascorbic acid is an organic compound with formula , originally called hexuronic acid. It is a white solid, but impure samples can appear yellowish. It dissolves freely in water to give mildly acidic solutions. It is a mild reducing agent. Asco ...

(vitamin C). Inactive ingredients include

menthol Menthol is an organic compound, specifically a Monoterpene, monoterpenoid, that occurs naturally in the oils of several plants in the Mentha, mint family, such as Mentha arvensis, corn mint and peppermint. It is a white or clear waxy crystallin ...

tartaric acid Tartaric acid is a white, crystalline organic acid that occurs naturally in many fruits, most notably in grapes but also in tamarinds, bananas, avocados, and citrus. Its salt (chemistry), salt, potassium bitartrate, commonly known as cream of ta ...

, and

propylene glycol Propylene glycol ( IUPAC name: propane-1,2-diol) is a viscous, colorless liquid. It is almost odorless and has a faintly sweet taste. Its chemical formula is CH3CH(OH)CH2OH. As it contains two alcohol groups, it is classified as a diol. An al ...

History

Strepsils was originally introduced in 1950 by Boots Healthcare as a

mouthwash Mouthwash, mouth rinse, oral rinse, or mouth bath is a liquid which is held in the mouth passively or swirled around the mouth by contraction of the perioral muscles and/or movement of the head, and may be gargled, where the head is tilted back ...

.Reckitt Benckiser Group plc. Page accessed 28 October 201
Strepsils – Our Health Brands
/ref> Strepsils throat lozenges were introduced in 1958. Strepsils was one of the Boots Healthcare brands acquired by Reckitt Benckiser in 2006. Strepsils have been in production since 1958 and contain two active ingredients, namely: amylmetacresol and 2,4-dichlorobenzyl alcohol. These ingredients are mild antiseptics that can kill bacteria associated with mouth and throat infections. However, as indicated in the package, research has not demonstrated the presence of an antibacterial agent to reduce the duration or severity of an infection. Extra Strepsils contains hexylresorcinol as an active ingredient and strepsils sore throat and nose covered contains menthol 8 mg. Reckitt Benckiser also produces a higher resistance pill that used to be marketed under the Strepsils Intensive label, but is now marketed under the Strepfen brand, which contains the active ingredient flurbiprofen 8.75 mg. In Australia, Argentina and Hungary, 'Strepsils Plus' are available, which contain

lidocaine Lidocaine, also known as lignocaine and sold under the brand name Xylocaine among others, is a local anesthetic of the amino amide type. It is also used to treat ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. When used for local anae ...

, as well as the antiseptic agents present in original Strepsils. In France and Spain they are also available with lidocaine, marketed as 'Strepsils Lidocaine'. The name of Strepsil comes from the

Streptococcus ''Streptococcus'' is a genus of gram-positive spherical bacteria that belongs to the family Streptococcaceae, within the order Lactobacillales (lactic acid bacteria), in the phylum Bacillota. Cell division in streptococci occurs along a sing ...

bacteria that causes certain types of sore throat. * Strepsils are sold in Italy under the Benagol brand. * In Germany are sold now as Dobendan and Dobensana brand, from 2009 till 2013 were sold as Dobendan Strepsils.Dobendan: Besser ohne „Strepsils“. – Carolin Bauer, 24.05.2013
/ref> * In Norway they are sold without active ingredients under the Repsil brand. * In North America, they are sold under the Mucinex InstaSoothe brand

Dose

The recommended dose is a tablet every 2–3 hours for adults. Vitamin C is added for Strepsils Vitamin C-100. Each Strepsils Vitamin C-100 pill contains 1.2 mg of 2,4-dichlorobenzyl alcohol, amylmetacresol 0.6 mg and 100 mg of vitamin C.

References

External links

*
Report on Strepsils lozenges
by the

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care in the United Kingdom which is responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are accepta ...

(MHRA) Throat lozenges Reckitt brands {{product-stub