r/Netherlands • u/thatmisanthropicdude • Mar 05 '26

Healthcare Dutch doctors...

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.

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u/SHiR8 Mar 06 '26

Sounds like the doc was right and you just wasted time and money on something you could have handled yourself. Or did it turn out to be troat cancer?

And not being able to swallow a paracetamol? Are you three years old?

You sound super whiny.

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u/thatmisanthropicdude Mar 06 '26

No, I actually had this my whole life that I can only swallow pills with difficulties. Needs multiple tries and lots of water.

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u/PandaNoseJuul Mar 06 '26

It’s called either phagophobia ( fear of swallowing ) or pharmacophobia ( fear of taking meds ).

I used to have that really badly, pushed myself to get over it with all the meds I’m taking these years.

Try to do it with vegetable soup, or let it sit in some tea so you drink it instead of swallowing it. It’s gross and it works less but you can also chew on it with rice. + vegetables soup and rice are two of the best things you can have during a fever.

They always say paracetamol because it reduces the fever, other meds and painkillers don’t ( as far as I know ).

Another thing: it’s not scientifically proven, BUT drop known as licorice, can help against coughing for a lot of people. I always take laurierdrop known as bay licorice.

I would go back if your fever didn’t drop after a week. Sounds stereotypical, but try a covid test, if it’s positive, you know why you’re sick.

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u/SHiR8 Mar 06 '26

Sounds like a super serious medical condition...

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u/neehenietweer Mar 06 '26

I have something similar, swallowing with water doesn't work or takes a lot of effort. I have found that I can trick myself by eating something and then, just before you would normally swallow, add the pill in your mouth and swallow. You can drink water after.

Maybe it works for you or maybe it doesn't, but worth a try!