To be annoyed with colleagues conversation

[SB1013]

The woman I sit next to at work started to lose her voice last week and immediately booked a GP appointment for that afternoon thinking she must have some sort of infection. Wasn't in pain or anything she'd just had a cold and her voice started to go. Anyway fast forward to today (she wasn't in yesterday) and she's explaining to another colleague that she'd been to the doctors and they had told her it's likely viral and she's not had it very long etc etc so to come back next week if it's still bad. Her voice has made a miraculous recovery and they were moaning that the way the Dr treated her was really bad and that it was hard to get appointments and she expected to be given something. AIBU to be really pissed off that people don't understand that antibiotics won't cure a fucking cold!!!!! She clearly didn't have any kind of infection and the fact that she's survived the weekend supports the doctors views...

@Tors33 - my mother is EXACTLY the same!!!!

You'd need a week in bed for flu.

There's some interesting debate on what happens if you don't complete the course. Too soon to know the outcome, I suspect.

www.bmj.com/content/bmj/358/bmj.j3418.full.pdf

www.nhs.uk/news/medication/questions-over-advice-to-finish-courses-of-antibiotics/

Essentially, the original arguments against under-use (non completion) were made in ignorance of the problems of over-use, and it might be time to reconsider. The NHS summary seems even-handed.

my mil is like that it really annoys me whenever my children are ill she wants me to take them to doctors for antibiotics even for viral infection I don't like pumping my children with drugs but she never understands and then I feel like a bad mother for not doing it

^^ I could have written that. My DC have only ever been ill a very small handful of times in their lives (11, 9 and 6) and only once requiring a visit to the doctor. The youngest, baby at the time, developed bronchiolitis (RSV) and even that didn't do much to him. I just kept him cool to keep the temp down and breastfed him. Other than being a bit wheezy he was fine (though did have a prescription) and I firmly believe that not going straight for the medicine cabinet at every snuggle has helped keep my kids in top form. They have a cold? They use tissues. That's it. I guess a few adults could take a leaf out of their book. Even Calpol is a rarity in our home.

Yes cheese, it's also people not finishing the course. Means that only the 'weaker' bacteria are killed off, leaving just the stronger/more resistant ones in the system.

It's not rocket science, is it, we've all managed to grasp it, why are so many people fixated on getting antibiotics for everything?? My theory is that it's a kind of badge of seriousness - as in, I'm not malingering, it's so bad the doc gave me antibiotics. I'm so brave. Etc.

I phoned for a routine appointment today, the earliest they can offer is the 8th jan, which is a long wait in our surgery. I said that’s fine it’s non urgent, the receptionist said I was the first one to say that in about a week. Yeah right every other appointment has been urgent? I highly doubt it. People use a cold as an excuse for an urgent appointment these days. Some people really abuse the system, and take appointments that are really needed buy those that are genuinely unwell. Annoys the hell out of me.

She'd have gotten a massive eyeroll from me.

A few years ago I rang up for a non-urgent appointment. The receptionist gave me an appointment in a week's time which was fine and then asked what was wrong. I explained that it was bloody discharge from a nipple (TMI, sorry). She said that they would consider that an urgent appointment and booked me in for the next day. It turned out to be fine after a mammogram. The point is that one person's emergency is another person's wait and see.

I have only had antibiotics once in decades because I was actually struggling to breathe after a three week chest infection was getting worse. Others will go to the doctors at the drop of a hat. Medical professionals need to be firmer with malingerers. And refuse to give antibiotics unless strictly medically indicated.

I had a boss like that. Go in to work with a cold - "Have you been to the doctor?" Cough - the same. Headache - the same.

I have long term back issues, I know exactly what to do and how to best manage flare ups. He would STILL ask if I'd been to see my GP each time, even though I had told him multiple times that I was on the strongest painkillers my GP could give me and I was using the coping mechanisms as defined by the pain clinic.

I hate antibiotics too. I had some recently after I got hit by a moped, and had a nasty wound on my leg which needed 13 stitches and got infected. The watery poo from the antibiotics was worse than the infected wound.

I'm prone to bronchitis after colds, and would go the GP for antibiotics when this happened. They changed the guidelines and if (as is always the case with me) the bronchitis happens after a cold they do not recommend them as it's likely the same virus that caused the cold, just a bit further down the respiratory tract. Fair enough, makes sense. Now I only go to to the GP with bronchitis if I need a sick note. It's yet to hinder my recovery . Disclaimer: obviously not recommended if you have asthma, CF, HIV/AIDS etc.

I try to stay away from doctor as much as possible and I do same with my children
whenever they get a cold she will say it I hope it's not flu when they get rash go to a&e it could be measles
only a week or so ago my daughter complained of a bad belly my mother in law was all up in arms it's her appendix get her to a&e now so this time I did take her as soon as we got there she was fine didn't even need to see anyone it was just wind
I was hoping mil would have felt silly after that but no all she said was least she ok
it irritates the life out of me