Why are there sugar and sugar free medicines?

[Twinmummyx2]

After purchasing calpol last night, and the chemist lady asking which one i wanted (which was sugar free of course) i was wondering if there was any medical reason as to why they make them both?? Most people would choose the sugar free anyway wouldn't they?

All my ill children are bored so having me time on MN and thinking aloud...

me

I think last time I counted calpol has 5 e-numbers in it. Both sugar and sugar-free versions. WTF! Sure some are colourings, does it HAVE to be pink?

The worst one I've found was a cough medicine, suitable for 1+ which had screeds of warnings about possible reactions to one of the ingredients. It was a COLOURING. Obviously there can be reactions to the active ingredients in a medicine, which is a necessary risk. Then there are the flavourings, which are 'necessary' in as much a child in particular might not take an unflavoured, unsweetened medicine. But colour? You put a dodgy ingredient in medicine just so it can be yellow?

The manufacturers of this particular medicine had also decided that a pleasant flavour for it would be 'tasting exactly like nappysacks smell'.

Blimey! Cerys' anti-biotics at the moment are bright yellow, i guess that is the same thing.

scary!

Disprin?? You shouldn't give aspirin to children at all.

The childrens equivelent to it, disprol isn't it, would have to check with the chemist.

yes thats what i meant - disprol

Remember that Disprin or any form of Asprin cannot be given to chldren under 12 yrs!

i meant disprol which is dissolving paracetamol for the dds
i take disprin myself - was confused

Hate sugar free with a passion.

I was an 80s child and had calpol then.

I avoid artificial sweeteners for the whole family.

I was born in the 70s and my mum used to crush half a paracetamol between two spoons, add a bit of water and dose us with it. Even talking about it brings back a phantom taste in the back of my mouth and makes me shudder.

Whats wrong with you lot? I love disprin and still get soluable aspirin now, lovely stuff and no I'm not joking.

I like the way the pharmacy staff automatically go for the sugar free and look at you as if you are some sort of nutter for wanting to actually give your child sugar

has anyone considered diabetes?

I remember as a child thinking Junior Disprin tasted nice. Child of the 70s, we must have still been getting asprin then.

Surely medicine should taste nasty or it doesn't work properly or was it just my mum who said that?

How much calpol do you think we're giving our children????

Diabetes?!!?!?

Ah, or you mean that is what the sugar free is for

Diabetes from too much calpol? I'd be worried about their liver first.

Or do you mean sugar-free for diabetics?

reason for being sugar free. I don't think too much sugar causes diabetes

I was all agog at the madness of you, and then I understood what you were getting at

We usually choose sugar rather than sugar free but I just wish they would leave out the colourings. They are totally unnecessary. We had one cough medicine recently that wasn't coloured and my daughter took it without any problem and I am certain it must be better for her.

i always go for the sugar one and not sugar free. I also stay away from any diet products.

Sugar actually acts as a painkiller for small children too, we always get the sugar-containing calpol for this reason.