The drugs don't work

I woke up to a gloomy weather with falling snow flakes. Besides the chilly temperature, the winter also brings along with it a bad bout of the flu and cold virus. Which is very common in this time of the season. Almost everyone in the office are somewhat infected with the cold. I am of course not spared by it either.

I have been fighting the flu virus for the last couple of weeks now. The cold comes and goes. I would get better early of the week after a well-needed rest during the weekend. By the end of the week, the symptoms of the cold would become full-blown again.

My exhausted body was too weak to ward off the persistant virus and finally gave in on Monday.

Why didn't I visit the doctor? Some might ask.

The idea of fighting a cold here in Germany or Europe is very different as that in Singapore. When we fall ill back home, we hurry to the doc to be treated with prescribed medications. Usually antibiotics would be given. After the course of antibiotics, we recover quickly in a matter of days.

The docs here believe in letting our bodies fight the virus instead of with the help of medications. Plenty of rest helps and a flu will have to run its course anyway. Therefore, it is not uncommon to have one full week of MC for a cold or flu without any prescribed medications to take home.

A Singaporean friend was once very ill and begged for antibiotics from her doc. Her request was however turned down. She wouldn't even have to beg if she were in Singapore. Antibiotics are given rather freely in the lion city, with hardly any questions asked.

So, did our frequent consumption of the drug resulted in our lower body resistance than our ang moh counterparts?

Of course, there are good aspects of the drug. For example, it is used to treat many bacteria infections such as sinus infections, kidney infections, bladder infections, etc.

But antibiotics often act without regard for the type of bacteria they are designed to attack. Which means they do not know the difference between the good bacteria and the bad. This can cause an intense lowering of the natural flora in the human body. The result of which may lead to everything from diarrhea to yeast infections.

There is also the risk of creating antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. When antibiotics are not taken completely, this can lead to stronger strains of the bacteria. And when docs prescribe antibiotics for viral infections, such as the common cold and the flu, they are also adding to this danger.

But interestingly, antibiotics are only effective against bacteria but not against colds or the flu, which are caused by viruses.

I am no doctor but I think it would be good if the men in white coats could take some minutes off their precious time to explain their logic in prescribing antibiotics against, e.g. that infected throat.

Sure, who doesn't want a speedy recovery from whatever one is suffering at the moment? But if taking anitbiotics causes more bad side effects rather than the desired ones, then I guess I would rather stay in bed for a few more days for a slow but sure recovery.

Unfortunately, in fast-paced Singapore, we do not have the luxury of getting a full week MC just for flu or cold. Even so, should we make do with the drugs in exchange for a weaker immune system?