Spill the beans... on products that don't live up to the hype

notatvstar

Ben84 wrote: »

I agree with your friend. I'm a chemist and I know there is absolutely no difference between the 20p box of aspirin from a reputable retailer and the £2 branded one next to it on the shelf. The generic painkillers, for example aspirin, paracetamol or codeine are all the exact same drug molecules by definition and they usually come in the same strength tablets, so I always buy the inexpensive store branded ones in Boots or Sainsburys. Same for allergy tablets, they're basically either loratadine or cetirizine hydrochloride, after this the only difference is the advertising and how much they cost.

As for other products, for example cold and flu tablets, the ingredients vary quite a bit and some may be better than others, both as a formulation and in how an individual responds to them. However, I don't assume spending more means it will be better. The companies spend the money advertising the formulations and drug molecules they own patents for. Advertising spending is not directed by how effective a product is. Personal opinion is store brand products usually work very well and I have not had reason to suspect they're not as effective.

As a pharmacologist (NOT pharmacist, btw...) I totally and utterly agree with this. I buy the cheapest ibuprofen possible. All that gumph about 'targeting pain' is utter poo as well. It's just that in areas of inflammation the local chemical conditions cause stuff like ibuprofen to work better. There's no flecking targeting.... I don't know why but I get reeeealllly angry about that. I now have throw stuff around my office.

... Also - Vitamins. You don't absorb most of the pills you're taking, and also you have to take certain combinations to have them work properly (eg iron and vitamin C).

Also - if you have a low grade chronic allergy it may be worth getting a prescription for your anti histamines as that may save you money rather than buying brand name loratidine over the counter. As the man said - it is the same chemical!

... Just don't buy any drugs online.

Ever.

notatvstar

Totally agree with Ben84 about stereoisomers as well... although interestingly loratidine preparations are usually a racemate (for cheapness I suppose - shrugs).

I shall stop the boffery now.

Ben84

notatvstar wrote: »

Totally agree with Ben84 about stereoisomers as well... although interestingly loratidine preparations are usually a racemate (for cheapness I suppose - shrugs).

I shall stop the boffery now.

It may be both forms are active, or that one is inactive but harmless.

You can make just one enantiomer with chiral synthesis or a chiral resolution to separate the enantiomers. Both options increase complexity of production, use more materials, and a resolution makes costly to dispose of waste.

The advantage to producing the single enantiomer is either to remove one of the enantiomers that has direct adverse effects, or to remove the inactive enantiomer as it requires more effort for the body to excrete them. These aren't always significant though so often taking the inactive enantiomer makes no difference. Another reason to do this is that drug companies have, in some cases, been able to re-patent their drugs again once the patent for the racemate has expired by applying for a patent on the single active enantiomer. I think this is a dubious claim, but it has been upheld in some cases.

The big thing for drug companies is hanging on to patents and brand names for popular products. Research and design is only one aspect of a successful drug company, they have to play the marketing and patents game to make the big money. Molecules may also be tweaked with the addition of a functional group in a region that has no effect on activity to allow a new patent on this otherwise identical drug to be claimed. However, the marketing department will present it as a new drug with all kinds of reasons to pay more for it. Competitors also exploit this to make me too drugs.

There are of course some innovative and completely new drugs bought to market every year, but it's not always the case. There are a lot of people paying more for drugs when really it's as good as an old well established off-patent drug or cheaper competitors drug, because it's just a single enantiomer of it or a slightly structurally modified version that shows the same activity.

polarcherry

Virgin media have the worst customer service i know of and a unreliable product. ( tv )

Rafters restaurant in Sheffield supposedly the best in town, was nice but really not as impressive as its reputation and price tag.

Catriona_P

I've just had a big problem with Tresemme shampoo - bought a massive bottle of it to save money, it's now given me dandruff! Which I've never had in my life, was mortified. I've switched to a different brand and its fine now, but I have a half bottle of Tresemme still! Will that clean the toilet like H&S apparently does?

squeekymoo

Catriona_P wrote: »

I've just had a big problem with Tresemme shampoo - bought a massive bottle of it to save money, it's now given me dandruff! Which I've never had in my life, was mortified. I've switched to a different brand and its fine now, but I have a half bottle of Tresemme still! Will that clean the toilet like H&S apparently does?

Same here - I bought Tresemme as BOGOF so had 2 bottles to get rid of. dandruff after just one use!!

EndlessStruggle

Most of the ballet pump style flats that come out of Shoe Zone and now Stead & Simpson as they are now in the same company group and sell those same rubbish Lilley shoes. I have had two pairs from there where within 2 weeks the sole has worn down and all the way through so I have a hole in the shoe, also another pair are so flimsy I didn't realise I was walking on the inside of the shoe and it's worn all the way through nearly. I took a pair back and they refused to refund me and I wrote to head office as they said and still no response. Don't buy any of their flimsy ballet pump flat style shoes, they don't last longer than a few weeks if you actually need to walk outside on the path.

On the TreSemme shampoo and dandruff issue, I used to use it when it first came out and had the same problem as well as making me itch.

patchwork_cat

For the person who asked about the difference between a chemist and a pharmacist. A chemist (pharmaceutical chemist)shop on the high street is really a pharmacy with a pharmacist in it who has done a pharmacy degree.

A chemist is someone who has done a degree in chemistry they do not work in pharmacies ( although they are frequently involved in the development of new drugs) - your chemistry teacher at school probably had a chemistry degree.

A pharmacologist is someone who specialises in the action of drugs, an area in a pharmacy degree and they will often be involved in the creation of new drugs in industry.

Ben84

squeekymoo wrote: »

Same here - I bought Tresemme as BOGOF so had 2 bottles to get rid of. dandruff after just one use!!

You can use shampoo to fill up hand wash bottles, it's basically as good as. It works fine in the bathroom, although I don't like perfumed hand wash in the kitchen as it can add a strange flavour to food.

I've also used spare shampoo to clean the bath and tiles with surprisingly good results, but this isn't such a good value use for it as hand wash costs more.

LouLou

delain wrote: »

Head lice treatments (lyclear, full marks etc) they just don't work. Save your cash get some cheapy tea tree shampoo and conditioner (57p in tesco in 500 ml bottles) and mix some tea tree oil with it, leave conditioner in a while then comb. Job done!

I had a hellish time when my niece was younger, nits seem to love my thick hair. The one that worked for me was Listerine original mouthwash sprayed into dry hair and combed through with a Nitty Gritty comb (mouthwash has to be the original variety). Put in a towel for a few hours, as long as you can stand it. It'll make some people's scalps sting, so probably best to patch test first.

Then rinse out with water, towel dry, and rinse hair out with white vinegar (not brown). One application is usually enough. Works every time!