To find ill people who "don't do medicine" irritating?

[DryWhiteplease]

My collegue has a stinking cold and horrendous cough. She's been I'll for a couple of weeks. I keep telling her to go to the Dr or go to Boots and get some cold and cough stuff. She says she's "fine" and "doesn't do medicine"!
I'm finding it hard to be sympathetic to her moaning and a bit annoyed that Shes spreading her germs all round work.
I just don't get why some people won't just take something to make them feel better.

[mytartanscarf]

I don't because they taste gross! I do have a day off if I feel really bad but I have a cold at the moment but feel able to work if you see what I mean.

[Bluestocking]

She's right - there isn't really any medicine for a common cold. If your workplace is unforgiving about sick leave, she has to come in even if she's not really up to it. Leave her alone.

[fuctifino]

I have had migraines from the age of 9. Nothing touched them, over the counter or prescribed.

It seems to make taking tablets futile, so I don't.
My dh doses himself up on lemsip etc when he has a cold. His symptoms are no less worse than mine, nor do they subside at a quicker rate.

Save your money, that's what I say

[SaucyJack]

What DonnaLyman said.

There's no point in being irritated with her when nothing you can buy OTC will prevent germs spreading.

[CocobearSqueeze]

I get what you mean. Some people will complain of a very bad headache. They refuse to take paracetamol and hours later "oh no I'm in agony"..... I usually have to just bite my lip!

[Lifesalemon]

I don't do over the counter medicines either. They at best only mask the symptoms (if that) and don't actually make you better. She might feel a little better but she will still be carrying the germs.

[trufflesnout]

It's only a cold and a cough, you can't treat every single thing you pick up. GP won't able to do anything unless she has a chest infection, surely? And whether someone wants to spend money on cold and flu stuff is up to them (I never do)

[AlwaysHoldingOnToStars]

I'm the same. Won't bother wasting my money on something that won't work. Even my GP has said not to buy cough medicine as it's useless.

I'm still recovering from a cold, and even when I took paracetamol for the headache I got it didn't even touch it.

I don't like taking drugs if I can help it, so usually only take them as a last resort (if I'm at work, so can't sleep it off usually!)

[springbabydays]

Offer her a honey and lemon drink. I'm off meds as I'm bf still. So I stick to honey and lemon (with occasional paracetamol) and I've realised that all those cold and flu tablets actually don't do anything anyway.

[SoMuchForSubtlety]

The only thing I take for a cold and cough is ibuprofen (other than bed, sleep, lots of water, vitamin c, rug up). Everything else OTC does bugger all.

[kali110]

Cough medicines don't work anyway, doctors say that.
I get horrendous headaches and painkillers do nothing.
I had to go into work when i was sick loads of times. Everyone did. 3 times off in a month and you had a disciplinary!

[kali110]

Honey and lemon is the best thing for a cough anyway!
Only time i'll have honey

[mausmaus]

on the fence.
yes, over the counter cough and old remedies only relieve symptoms and don't 'cure' the illness bu symptom relief is a good thing.
if I'm ill I try to get as much rest as I can and dose up before bed to get as much peaceful sleep as possible.

[Kickassandlollipops]

When I'm at work I take anything that on offer to get me through the day , but when I'm off I do a "wet" cold so take nothing that will dry me out ie sudafed or nasal sprays, drink loads of fluids and eat spicy foods symptoms are not eased but cold goes a lot quicker.

[GoodboyBindleFeatherstone]

Over the counter remedies might not work - but it's the "oh I'm so ill!" moaning that accompanies "I don't do medicine" or "I don't do tablets" that winds me up.

[SusanIvanova]

I'm not allowed to take painkillers anymore. But I try not to complain.

[TheEnduringMoment]

I agree that OTC medicine won't help her get better quicker. I got flack from colleagues when I had a long lasting cough, and they objected to the noise, on the grounds that it was my fault for not taking cough syrup, but I didn't see the point of medicine that really wouldn't help me.

However if she's moaning about feeling ill then YANBU to object. DH occasionally moans about feeling poorly but then turns down Lemsip which would make him feel better.

[DoubleValiumLattePlease]

Is she like it about all illnesses or just the cold? I have a relative who won't take the antidepressants she so badly needs because she 'doesn't do' Western medicine. Not that she does Eastern either but she probably thinks she sounds cute/interesting/alternative/progressive or whatever look she's currently channelling! Some people are just terribly silly.

[Hatespiders]

If her cold has gone on for weeks, it's turned into a chest infection and she probably needs antibiotics.
I tend to try and leave my body to get over things by itself. Generally it does. But I'm retired; it must be hard for someone who's working to take time off for minor ailments.

[sallysparrow157]

I take everything going when I have a cold. Paracetamol and ibuprofen during the day, sudafed at night so I can sleep. Trouble is I then get horrible gastritis from the ibuprofen and sudafed! (I then take ranitidine for the gastritis so I don't suffer with that either but I wouldn't have needed that if I hadn't taken all the other stuff!)
I worked very briefly in general practice many moons ago. Would quite frequently get patients come in, tell me what their problem was (sore knee, earache, depression, indigestion, all sorts) and I would say 'oh, you have x problem, I will prescribe so and so medicine for you and it should help, if not come back and see me again' and they would say 'oh no doc, I don't want tablets'.
(To be fair with the depressed patients just coming for a chat about it all and coming back later for another chat if they needed to could be helpful in itself but with pretty much everything else, I can't really help unless you let me treat you!)

[QTPie]

Depends what it is for... For a cough/cold, then agree with others - that little tends to help. I take paracetamol if I have a fever/headache and use Vicks at night if it helps my breathing, but otherwise not much helps.

[whois]

DP doesn't do cold and flue drugs, or painkillers.

He isn't allowed to tell me how ill genus feeling unless he takes something which might help. I refuse to listen to how bunged up he feels if he refuses to take some sudafed or whatever.

[misskangaandroo2014]

An adult with no reaction to medicines who is actively complaining about their cold / headache / generally minor symptoms (particularly at work) will get no sympathy if they've not tried that route.
But I'm an unsympathetic cow like that.

[QTPie]

(I won't take ibuprofen except during my period - since it can apparently effect ovulation/implantation... My old IVF Consultant told me.... Not that it is helping much, 3 years and two rounds of IVF on...)