[Do colostrum tablets have a symptomatic effect on sore throat?].
BACKGROUND
Throat infections are common conditions in general practice. Pain and discomfort can be considerable in all kinds of throat infections and it would be of great clinical relevance to find out if either of the two types of colostrum tablets sold over the counter in Norway shortens the duration of symptoms in throat infections not caused by group A streptococci.


METHODS
The study was prospective, double-blinded, randomised and placebo-controlled. 148 adult patients with sore throat were recruited in five Norwegian military camps during the winters 1999-2001. The main outcome measures were the degree of sore throat and malaise as experienced by the patients, measured by visual analogue scale, and the number of days until recovery. The patients were divided in three groups who received either one of the two brands of tablets or placebo which they would use more or less continuously until recovery.


RESULTS
148 patients completed the study. Patients in all three groups reported a reduction of pain on the visual analogue scale of approximately 50% after 6 days. There were no significant differences in pain reduction between the groups. As to malaise, the Curamed group had a somewhat lower, non-significant start value and also experienced less reduction in symptoms. The differences between the groups were not significant. There was no significant difference between the groups as to the duration of pain until recovery.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study we found no symptomatic effect of neither of the colostrum tablets used by patients with sore throat.
Lindbaek
Morten
M
Institutt for allmenn- og samfunnsmedisin, Universitetet i Oslo, 0317 Oslo. morten.lindbak@medisin.uio.no
Thom
Erling
E
Fuglerud
Per
P
Hjortdahl
Per
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003126:Colostrum; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005100:Expectorants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013607:Tablets
D005100:Expectorants; D013607:Tablets