Medication VS letting your body deal with it for a common cold?

[SouthernSeafront]

Does anyone else not take anything when they have a cold?

I rarely take any medication, I just let my body resolve it. Unless it's an infection that requires antibiotics I'll leave it.

Mild headache? I'll keep hydration up and rest more.

Cold? I'll carry on as usual and carry tissues around.

Diarrhoea? I'll keep fluids up and carry on as normal.

I don't understand why people feel like it's a requirement to rush off and get some form of pharmaceutical to ingest or inhale. We have powerful bodies, let them resolve it and save medication until we really need it.

Someone in my online pregnancy forum posted: "I feel a cold coming on, what can I take? I'm either going to get X or X. What did everyone else take??"

And it was full of comments from other pregnant women recommending medication.

...

For a COLD!

Jesus Christ. Is it just me? What does everyone else do?

I think it's fair enough to ameliorate symptoms with paracetamol and decongestants. Why suffer unnecessarily?

Colds can knock me out for weeks. It's not just a sniffle to some people

I’m with you, I leave medication as a last resort. People with colds always make me laugh, ‘what can I take to get rid of this cold?’ nothing, it’s a virus so you’ve just got to ride it out. You can’t get rid of it you can only treat the symptoms.

I always keep my fluid intake higher when suffering from a common cold. I will take pain relief if it is needed but I stay clear of lemsips and the like. Much prefer to make my own with fresh lemon, honey and ginger. Carrying on is all good and well, but bodies need rest to recover from a cold. Simple is best - bed rest, fluids and a big pot of home made soup! Always does the trick!

Paracetamol or decongestants won't get rid of a cold any quicker, but they'll do a decent job of reducing the symptoms. Not sure why you'd judge people for wanting to feel less crap?

I try to keep going as normally as possible when ill - treating the symptoms helps me do that. Plus helps me sleep better which probably does help with recovery!

Have now spent two winters in a row pregnant and breastfeeding. My kingdom for a decongestant...

Because I want to feel less crap whilst I'm at work 🤔. I don't do it to get rid of it. I do it to allieviate the symptoms so I can get on with we everyday life. Same with a headache. I don't find fluid intake helps and I can't always just rest. So I take an aspirin and it goes. What's not to like?!

Do what you like, obviously, but there's nothing worse than being around somebody who moans about how dreadful they feel while refusing basic measures such as paracetamol. I refuse to pander to masochists.

Different strokes for different folks.

Some people like to use medication to minimise their symptoms others don't; both are fine.

Do you know what isn't fine? The people who choose not to take medication but then still whinge about being ill or in pain. Imo your options are to deal with it or suffer in silence. If someone chooses to be a martyr to their illness then I don't need to hear about it.

Disclaimer: if someone has a genuine illness or something which can't be effectively treated, then I do listen.

I’m expected to continue working when I have a cold. Colds can make me feel awful as I have asthma. Therefore I take paracetamol etc to feel less like death when I’m facing 30 kids all day.

What a daft thing to be judgy about.

The drugs are there and i’d Rather feel halfway normal then feel poorly and miserable when I can feel less shite!