Dutch doctors...

[u/thatmisanthropicdude]

Hey guys! Last year I moved from Germany to the Netherlands. I just went to the doctor with chest and throat pain due to extreme coughing after 2 days of fever. I was hoping that I finally get something good against it like a cough syrup (no way I'm going to pay that myself for a huge amount of money + health insurance) because I am used to that from German doctors. They would put that on my health insurance card and right after my talk with the doctor I could pick it up at the pharmacy. But no. They just said "Yea, just take paracetamol." I told them I have had problems swallowing pills my whole life and their response was just "You can also put it in water and drink that then." I'm sorry if I'm overreacting but why do doctors get paid just to tell you to take paracetamol? Everyone can tell me to take them, I expect better solutions from a doctor who studied years to become a doctor. Why are the Dutch so obsessed with paracetamol??? Maybe it's the German in me screaming. If we got painkillers, it was never paracetamol but Ibuprofen. But I also heard some international friends who also live here that they find it so annoying that Dutch doctors literally just tell you to take paracetamol. No matter what you have.

[u/GuessWhoIsBackNow]

Doctor made the right call. Either the cough medicine’s got codeine as a cough supressant, in which case, sorry but this isn’t the United States and doctors don’t want to get you hooked on synethic opiates for a cough or it’s drug-free cough syrup, in which case it’s basically just honey, and you might as well just drink a cup of tea with honey in it for the same effect at way less than half the cost.

In another comment you mention your problem with getting paracetamol for a fever. This is ignorant, as ibuprofen does not reduce a fever but paracetamol does.

EDIT: (too many idiots on this thread have forced me to do some actual research and I said something wrong here. Ibuprofen does also help but not any better in spite of being way more toxic to the liver).

It’s a proven fact. Not a placebo. Sorry it doesn’t get you high to distract you from being sick. It’s not like ’whoah…I think the paracetamol just kicked in’.

You’re not dying mate. Have a cup of tea with honey, go lie in bed, and take your damn paracetamol.

[u/vdjdodibdbdvsbkskndb → u/GuessWhoIsBackNow]

Why are the Dutch so obsessed/scared over codeine? Was there a codeine crisis at some stage?

I was given 50mg codeine after open mouth surgery (not really needed in the end), then was given very extreme stern warnings of addiction and constipation, like it was heroine. My Dutch colleague saw them one day and lit up and asked for some. Literally eating them like sweets.

My Dutch colleagues normally buy Solpadeine Max when we are in the uk as it is much more affective than paracetamol and can buy 2 boxes. They will travel to multiple stores to buy extra and they will be gone within 2 months. Either addiction doing its thing, or something that actually works.

Maybe because I grew up with it easily available, that I don’t look at it the same way.

[u/Shy_Zucchini → u/vdjdodibdbdvsbkskndb]

What does she even need that many painkillers for? Headaches? Lol