REVIEW: Traditional Medicinals Organic Throat Coat Pastilles

For the past week, I’ve been sick. Like, super-sick. Ted caught something while he was traveling, and he lovingly brought it back to me. Sweet! This “cold,” or whatever it is (Satan?), has been taking its sweet time running its course. It’s been nearly a week, and I’m just now beginning to feel like I might, maybe, go outside today. Though I did eventually turn to NyQuil for help (read confession here), I spent the first half of my ongoing sickness searching for alternative therapies and herbal remedies that would ease my symptoms.

Ted recommended that I try the Organic Throat Coat Pastilles from Traditional Medicinals. They’re like cough drops, only they’re an herbal product based on their Throat Coat tea ingredients. The pastilles also contain menthol, which is great for soothing a sore throat. And I do love TM’s Throat Coat tea, so I figured I’d love these pastilles as well. But I wasn’t prepared for the biggest snag in the Pastille experience: they taste like hell on wheels.

Here’s how my trial of a Pastille went, with Ted encouraging me to give it a go:

Kerry: How do I do this? Do I put it under my tongue, or what?
Ted: No, you just suck on it.
[Kerry pops a pastille out of its packaging, pops it into her mouth.]
K: Oh. Sweet baby Jesus.
T: What?
K: It’s AWFUL. I want to spit it out. I hate it.
T: No, just keep it in, it eventually gets better.
[Kerry keeps it in for a few more moments, tries to ignore the awfulness.]
K: I can’t, I hate it, this is so horrible…
T: No, just keep trying! It gets better! It gets…

I spit it out.

To Ted’s (and the company’s) credit, the pastille worked really, really well. It numbed the pain in my throat, and it completely soothed my symptoms. But I’d rather have the pain than endure sucking on that awful little piece of hell, thank you very much.

I’ve tried many gross and unenjoyable cough drop products in my life; most were of the drugstore variety, consumed well before I even knew that alternatives existed. They were gross, and most only marginally eased the pain. In comparison, the Traditional Medicinals Pastilles completely soothed the pain, but is the relief worth it? I don’t think so. But Ted swears by these bitter brown lozenges, he’s not bothered by the pungent flavor enough to sacrifice their soothing effects. You should know, though, that he grew up taking down cod liver oil straight, way before you could find the lemon-flavored versions of today. What I’m saying is that he grew up drinking liquid fish. So, maybe he’s not the best gauge of what’s disgusting.

Personally, I’d rather drink Traditional Medicinals’ Throat Coat tea. In fact, I’m drinking it right now. It’s warm, it’s soothing, and it tastes decent. Maybe I’m a huge wuss (scratch that: I’m definitely a huge wuss), but I just can’t bring myself to use these Pastilles. They work amazingly well, and they’re a very clean alternative to your typical throat lozenge. I just don’t care. I’d rather be in pain than go through those Pastilles ever again. But if you can bear them, these lozenges will work crazy-well at clearing up your throat pain. To those of you brave enough to try, I say: Good luck.