What is your philosophy on medication when you are sick?

[jag01]

When you get sick with a cold or flu, what do you tend to do, grab OTC medication to make yourself feel better immediately or do you tough it out and let it run it's course?

[mamaalysson]

Other than something like Tylenol/Advil/aleve, I tough it out. I've reacted weirdly to medications in the past, so I am cautious when using them. If I have something that I really have to get through, and meds will help, I'll do it. Otherwise, my kids get extra TV or freedom to destroy the house and I lay on the couch like a slug.

[Deleted]

Always otc meds-no time for that lol! If it's a cold/flu I stagger ibuprofen with DayQuil throughout the day and NyQuil to sleep. Mucinex if needed and of course cough drops/chloraseptic.

[momin2013]

I very rarely take meds, like almost never. I "might' pop an Advil if I have a very bad headache that I can't shake off with sleep/caffeine, and I'll take antibiotics on the rare occurrence that I need them, but that's about it.

I'm a bit of an anomaly, though; you know how cold/flu meds say "may cause drowsiness or excitability"? I get the excitability, meaning I won't be able to sleep for literally a few days, so I avoid that type of medication at all costs. Apparently I have a certain sensitivity to pseudoephedrine/phenylephedrine.

When I get a cold, I just drink tons of camomile tea with honey and lemon.

[expectantsteelerfan]

I take whatever otc medicine i think will help for anything beyond the mildest cold. If it helps me function like close to normal or sleep at night, I'm all for it.

[cna]

I am fine with taking whatever I need to sleep at night and make it through the day. If I can't function on a minimal level everything else goes all to hell.

[Deleted]

I don't really take medication, but I think it's more because I got out of the habit while I was pregnant and/or breastfeeding. If I felt horrible now, I might take something if it got really bad. But usually I just drink tea, carry tissues everywhere and tough it out. I don't like the side effects of a lot of the cold meds I've taken, and wouldn't want to take something while I was taking care of the kids in case it completely knocked me out.

[quesyrah]

I don't usually take anything unless I'm having a hard time making it through the day. I'm not really against meds, I just usually find I can alleviate symptoms without them.

[maloney]

I love medicine and hate not feeling well. I don't get not taking something that will help you feel better

[gastro]

I try not to take anything. Maybe a little Benadryl at bedtime if I am super congested. I drink lots of tea, ginger lime tea, pound the liquids, hot broths, steam showers.
I occasionally get migraines and I will take Tylenol or ibuprofen to take the edge off the pain.
I rarely get sick though *knocks on wood*.

[minismama]

I don't like cold medicine so I'll maybe take Advil or ibuprofen or just tough it out.

[mamaalysson]

Feb 24, 2016 13:11:53 GMT -5 gastro said:

I try not to take anything. Maybe a little Benadryl at bedtime if I am super congested. I drink lots of tea, ginger lime tea, pound the liquids, hot broths, steam showers.
I occasionally get migraines and I will take Tylenol or ibuprofen to take the edge off the pain.
I rarely get sick though *knocks on wood*.

Migraines are one thing I will medicate the crap out of. I've had them go really bad really quickly, so I have Rx meds that I take at the first sign.

[dizzycooks]

If I'm not pregnant or bfing I will take anything with psuedophedrine for a cold. The flu I just deal with. Dh refuses any and all meds 95% of the time. He'd rather complain and be miserable and useless. Someone that doesn't seem to work out for me.

[rosesandpetals]

Take all the meds. I hate being sick.

[soexcited317]

I'm not opposed to taking otc meds- I usually take Tylenol for headaches. But I rarely take cold or flu meds unless I'm super achey or have a fever.

[abs]

I take Advil or Tylenol for any fever/headache/sinus pain. Otherwise OTC doesn't seem to work well or has undesirable side effects. Like Sudafed works great but it makes me not sleep. No thanks.

[cabbagecabbage]

I am not anti meds but as soon as I feel icky, I try to hydrate, drink tea, do neti pot, eat garlic, whatever, and then go to bed to ward it off. I don't know why. I've always just done that more than medicine.

My go to is ibuprofen when something hurts. It's the magical elixir fir everything. Now I'm pregnant so I have to tough it out.

[jag01]

Congratulations Cabbagecabbage! When are you due?

[vettymama]

Other than acetaminophen, I haven't taken OTC in over 4 years due to pregnancy or breastfeeding. I can usually just deal with it and let it run its course.

[thecheshirekat]

I'm sick right now and I'm kind of like "PLEASE GIVE ME ALL THE DRUGS!!!!!" But really, I try to avoid decongestants because they make me feel so shitty. I'm taking Tylenol, ibuprofen, and Mucinex right now to try and get myself through this and hopefully ward off a sinus infection, and if I have a bad cough I'll take cough medicine for it.

[Kcthepouchh8r]

Most times I try to go the natural route--use my neti pot, apple cider vinegar, tea, loads is water and chicken soup, etc. If I feel exceptionally shitty I will take ibuprofen for the pain and sudafed to reduce congestion. The average illness I generally don't have to take meds though.

[NandaB]

Feb 24, 2016 12:05:48 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

I don't usually take anything unless I'm having a hard time making it through the day. I'm not really against meds, I just usually find I can alleviate symptoms without them.

There's an oil for that!

[quesyrah]

Feb 25, 2016 18:55:43 GMT -5 NandaB said:

Feb 24, 2016 12:05:48 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

I don't usually take anything unless I'm having a hard time making it through the day. I'm not really against meds, I just usually find I can alleviate symptoms without them.

There's an oil for that!

I didn't want to get flamed lol.

But yeah. I use a variety of oils among other things to alleviate cold symptoms.

But I also take some crazy long term meds to manage my autoimmune disease so I think that affects my desire to take other meds.

[cabbagecabbage]

Feb 25, 2016 8:14:00 GMT -5 jag01 said:

Congratulations Cabbagecabbage! When are you due?

Oh, thanks. I'm due July 28, so almost halfway cooked!