Can you mix up cold and flu medication?

[IndependentUndefeated]

I'm feeling rough as fuck. I've been taking lemsip, which kind of helped but I hate the taste so bought a bottle of Covonia yesterday. I doesn't seem to have made a difference. Can I go back to taking lemsip tomorrow?

Lemsip is just paracetamol disolved in a lemon flavour drink because hot-lemon-and-honey is a well known relief for symptoms of viral cold&flu type bugs. If you don't like the taste just take paracetamol tablets and enjoy a hot or cold beverage of your choice.

I have no knowledge of any risks of switching between paracetamol and covonia but only a pharmacist would actually have the knowledge to fully reassure you. Given that covonia is OTC it's unlikely to be a problem assuming it doesn't contain paracetamol or have DO NOT TAKE IF YOU ARE ALSO TAKING PARACETAMOL printed on it.

Covonia is peppermint oil, anise oil, capsicum tincture (capsicum oleoresin, ethanol), syrup (sucrose), liquid glucose, magnesium aluminium silicate, sodium methyl, ethyl and propyl parahydroxybenzoates (E215, E219), glycerol (E422), caramel (E150c), purified water.

None of which interact with lemsip in any way. You should be fine taking both at once.

Posted by accident!

You can't take lemsip with anything else containing paracetamol. It's also not particularly helpful ime - I'd take paracetamol tablets instead, paired with a decongestant if you need from the pharmacy. You could also take ibuprofen (as long as you can normally take it) alongside the paracetamol, spaced at intervals so they overlap. (so paracetamol at 8am, ibuprofen at 10am, para at 12, ibu at 2- just space then so you stay in the daily dosing in the pack!)