this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2024
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I saw this post and wanted to ask the opposite. What are some items that really aren't worth paying the expensive version for? Preferably more extreme or unexpected examples.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 69 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (4 children)

But real Advil has the candy coating on the outside, and I haven't found a generic that does =(

Otherwise 100% identical yes.

[โ€“] [email protected] 40 points 10 months ago (3 children)

A few years ago, I wondered why that was and googled it. I came to an Advil site with an expandable FAQ, and one of the questions was โ€œwhy does Advil taste sweet?โ€

So I expanded it out to reveal this shocking answer (or something similar): โ€œAdvil tastes sweet because it is lightly coated in sugar.โ€

Thanks, I guess. I just closed the tab in mild irritation and moved on with my day.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

That sucks for those of us trying to avoid sugar.

[โ€“] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Problem with the candy coating is you can't enjoy it, unless you want to suddenly learn what pure poison tastes like. It's such a tease. Doesn't help that they look like scrumptious little caramel-y morsels.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Oh I suck on them first. It lasts long enough.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

Are you free tonight?

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Yep

There may be a difference in things like pill shape, texture, release mechanism / time to absorb (if it's not very important for how the medication works)

So it's ok to have a preference for one brand over the other when one of those points is relevant to your situation. I know some people also prefer the generic brand version over the regular (even if prices were the same)

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Wait, what? I have no idea what advil is, but sugar coating any drug is a recipe for disaster.

[โ€“] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Sugarcoating pills is fairly common, especially for pills which are frequently ingested or target older demographics. It's because sugar coatings are much gentler on the esophagus (i.e.: less likely to cause esophagitis, "pill burn"). Advil (i.e.: ibuprofen) is a cheap, well tolerated, and non habit-forming pain reliever -- it's about as safe as such a thing could possibly be, so hopefully that helps to explain why a sugar coating might be warranted given the aforementioned upsides (for the love of all that is holy; always read the directions on the label, it's still quite possible that Advil is not safe for you specifically). FWIW: the bottles also have childproofing mechanisms built into the caps (... at least in U.S. markets. Not sure about elsewhere?)

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I've never heard of sugarcoating pills, is it a US thing maybe?

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I think you have a wrong image of how this looks/works. It's not like there is a cany-shell or something. It's a regular, smooth pill. You usually do not notice this coating because you don't keep a pill in your mouth. If you were to, the pill would taste sweet.

If you ever have gotten a pill of some sort that dd not feel chalky on the outside but smooth and looked kinda shiny, that probably has been a sugarcoated pill.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I think you're right then, and honestly I can't say I've noticed.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

many birth control pills are sugarcoated for example. Or anti-histamine allergy medication like Cetericine