Patient leaflet - Lemsip Max Cold and Flu Blackcurrant
1. What this medicine is and what it is used for?
Lemsip Max Cold & Flu Blackcurrant contains a combination of ingredients which are effective in relieving the symptoms associated with colds and flu, including relief of aches and pains, sore throats, headache, nasal
congestion and lowering of temperature.
Paracetamol is a well-known painkiller (analgesic). It is effective against aches and pains, including a headache, and can also reduce a fever (antipyretic). Phenylephrine hydrochloride (nasal decongestant) reduces swelling in the passages of the nose, relieving nasal congestion and reducing the pressure which may cause a headache.
2. What you need to know before you take this medicine
As with all medicines Lemsip Max Cold & Flu Blackcurrant may not be suitable for some people. Do not take this medicine if:
- You are allergic to any ingredient (see section 6 for further information).
- You have a serious heart condition.
- You have high blood pressure (hypertension) or an overactive thyroid.
You are taking or have taken within the last 14 days a medicine called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor
(MAOI), usually used to treat depression.
- You are taking other sympathomimetic decongestants.
- You have an enlarged prostate; phaeochromocytoma; diabetes mellitus; or closed-angle glaucoma. Warnings and precautions Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine if: • You have Raynaud’s syndrome (poor blood circulation which makes the fingers or toes pale and numb). • You have a problem with your liver or kidneys.
You have non-cirrhotic liver disease (liver disease that is not associated with changes in the structure of
the liver).
- You have phenylketonuria.
During treatment with this medicine, tell your doctor straight away if:
You have severe illnesses, including severe renal impairment or sepsis (when bacteria and their toxins circulate in the blood leading to organ damage), or you suffer from malnutrition, chronic alcoholism or if you are also taking flucloxacillin (an antibiotic).Aserious condition called metabolic acidosis (a blood and fluid abnormality) has been reported in patients in these situations when paracetamol is used at regular doses for a prolonged period or when paracetamol is taken together with flucloxacillin. Symptoms of metabolic acidosis
may include: serious breathing difficulties with deep rapid breathing, drowsiness, feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting).
Other medicines and Lemsip Max Cold & Flu Blackcurrant
- Do not take with other paracetamol-containing products
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking:
Beta-blockers for high blood pressure, other antihypertensives or vasodilators (drugs used to treat high
blood pressure, leg pain due to vascular problems or Raynaud's syndrome).
Tricyclic anti-depressants (a specific class of drugs used to treat depression), other decongestants, or
barbiturates (used to treat sleep problems or epilepsy).
Other medicines. Some drugs may affect the way in which paracetamol works, including those used to
treat blood cholesterol (cholestyramine) and nausea and vomiting (metoclopramide and domperidone). The effect of blood thinning drugs (warfarin and other coumarins) may be increased by paracetamol. Some drugs may affect the way in which phenylephrine works (MAOIs, other sympathomimetic amines, antihypertensives, tricyclic antidepressants, digoxin and cardiac glycosides). • Flucloxacillin (antibiotic). Due to a serious risk of blood and fluid abnormality (called high anion gap
metabolic acidosis) that must have urgent treatment (see section 2).
Medicines used to treat epilepsy (phenytoin and carbamazepine), medicines used to treat sleeping
problems (barbiturates such as pentobarbital, phenobarbital), as they may increase side effects on liver. • Isoniazid (medicine used to treat tuberculosis), it may increase side effects of paracetamol.
Oxytocin (medicine used to help contractions during childbirth) and ergot alkaloids (medicines used to
treat migraine such as ergotamine, methylsergide), they may increase the risk of brain stroke (stroke caused by bleeding inside the brain).
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. Pregnancy and breast-feeding This product should not be used in women with a history of pre-eclampsia. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this product if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. This medicine contains:
Aspartame, a source of phenylalanine. This medicine contains 65mg aspartame in each sachet. It may be
harmful if you have phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder in which phenylalanine builds up
because the body cannot remove it properly.
Sucrose, 2.62mg per sachet. This should be taken into account in patients with diabetes mellitus.
If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.
Sodium (118.39mg per sachet), main component of cooking/table salt. This is equivalent to 5.92% of
the recommended maximum daily dietary intake of sodium for an adult. The maximum recommended daily dose of this medicinal product contains 473.56mg sodium (found in table salt). This is equivalent to 23.7% of the adult recommended maximum daily dietary intake for sodium. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if you need this medicine on a daily basis for a prolonged period of time, especially if you have
been advised to have a low salt diet.
3. How to take this medicine
To be made into a hot drink. Dissolve one sachet in a mug of hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until dissolved. If preferred, sweeten to taste with sugar, honey or your usual sweetener.
It is important to drink plenty of fluids when suffering from colds and flu.
Adults, the elderly and children 16 years and over: One sachet every 4 to 6 hours as required. Do not take more than 4 sachets in 24 hours.
Do not give to children under 16 years.
If the symptoms of your cold or flu persist for more than five days, or worsen, consult your pharmacist.
If you take more Lemsip Max Cold and Flu Blackcurrant than you should:
Talk to a doctor at once if you take too much of this medicine, even if you feel well. This is because too
much paracetamol can cause delayed, serious liver damage.You may experience symptoms of dizziness, palpitations (irregular or forceful heartbeat), stomach pain, high blood pressure with headache, unhealthy pale appearance (pallor), feeling sick (nausea) or vomiting if you take too much of this medicine.
Severe poisoning can cause problems with the blood's ability to clot.
If you forget to take this medicine: Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember it and then take the next dose at least 4 hours later.
4. Possible side-effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Very rare (fewer than 1 in 10,000 patients treated)
- Cases of serious skin reactions have been reported.
Frequency not known
- Allergic reactions (such as skin rashes).
Blood disorders, such as, thrombocytopenia (reduction in blood platelets which might mean that you
bleed or bruise more easily), pancytopenia (reduction in white and red blood cells), agranulocytosis, leucopenia or neutropenia (reduction in white blood cells which makes infections more likely). • A serious condition that can make blood more acidic (called metabolic acidosis), in patients with severe
illness using paracetamol (see section 2).
- Headaches, high blood pressure or palpitations.
- Stomach and gut disorder, such as, feeling sick, being sick or abdominal discomfort • Difficulty in passing urine (especially in males).
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.You can also report side effects directly via theYellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRAYellow Card in the Google Play orAppleApp Store. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store this medicine
Keep all medicines out of the sight and reach of children. Do not use after the end of the month of the expiry date (EXP month/year) shown on the pack. Do not store above 25°C (77°F). Store in the original package. Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste.Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What this medicine contains:
The active substances per sachet are: paracetamol 1000mg and phenylephrine hydrochloride 12.2mg. • The other ingredients are: ascorbic acid, citric acid anhydrous, caster sugar, pulverised sucrose,
aspartame, sodium citrate, saccharin sodium, enocyanin and blackcurrant flavour. Contents of the pack This product is available in cartons of 5 and 10 sachets. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
MarketingAuthorisation Holder/Manufacturer: Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Limited, Hull, HU8
7DS, UK. (PL 00063/0145)
Manufacturer: RB NL Brands B.V. WTC SchipholAirport, Schiphol Boulevard 207, 1118 BH Schiphol, Netherlands.
Leaflet last revised January 2026.
Lemsip and the Lemsip logo are trademarks of the Reckitt group of companies.
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