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I thought the GPs were just fine but it's true that they do offer antibiotics almost every time you have a cold. In the US, you would demand them from your doct

I thought the GPs were just fine but it's true that they do offer antibiotics almost every time you have a cold. In the US, you would demand them from your doctor and they would say no. Whether it was placebo or not, it did usually seem to make me feel better.

ykonstant 3y ago
> I thought the GPs were just fine but it's true that they do offer antibiotics almost every time you have a cold. Those two sentences contradict each other; it is a very irresponsible thing to do. Also, yes, if every time you have a cold, you get antibiotics and they make you feel better, it is placebo.
- fl0ki 3y ago
  An even simpler explanation is return to mean. They were going to get better in a few days anyway, with or without antibiotics. But if they keep getting antibiotics each time, they're always going to think that they helped. Confirmation bias comes in here too, why not. What's even worse is that unnecessary use of antibiotics can affect someone's gut biome and leave them worse off for months, in some extreme cases years. I have had antibiotics only a couple of times in my life (for bleeding injuries) and I noticed the effect on my gut each time. To think that people create this problem when they don't have to is alarming. I hope for their sake their doctors _are_ prescribing them placebos so it's harmless ignorance.
  - tppiotrowski 3y ago
    I took 1000mg of amoxicillin twice a day for about 6 months. I was terrified that it would destroy my gut flora and I would contract cdiff but in the end I didn't notice any adverse effects. Many people take yogurt with antibiotics but I didn't do that nor take probiotics. Walking out of the pharmacy with 8 boxes of antibiotics at a time was a fun experience. I can't remember but in Australia I think it was less than $5 a box without insurance.
  - cycomanic 3y ago
    > An even simpler explanation is return to mean. They were going to get better in a few days anyway, with or without antibiotics. But if they keep getting antibiotics each time, they're always going to think that they helped. Confirmation bias comes in here too, why not. Yes there's the saying among doctors, for patients with a cold who want medication (e.g. antibiotics): "You can either wait and feel better in a week, or I give you medication and you feel better in 7 days."
- zw7 3y ago
  > if every time you have a cold, you get antibiotics and they make you feel better, it is placebo. Not necessarily. Azithromycin, a common antibiotic used for upper respiratory infections, has anti-inflammatory effects separate from it's antibacterial effects[1]. So it may make patients feel better even if they have a viral infection. Thus perpetuating the patient's belief that they "needed" antibiotics. [1]: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15590715/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15590715/
sossles 3y ago
Who goes to a GP for a cold? Your symptoms would have to be pretty severe to do that wouldn't they? And if so, maybe it's not just a cold.
- ungamedplayer 3y ago
  Gp visit is free. Often need doctor cert for work to take more than a day or two off.
  - dugite-code 3y ago
    This hasn't been the case for most GP's for a while now. Bulk billing is becoming quite rare if you're not a pensioner.
    - ungamedplayer 3y ago
      Mine still is shrug
- tap-snap-or-nap 3y ago
  Almost all workplaces I have worked in insisted on having a sick certificate even for a single day. Several times I was asked to come to work for a few hours even when quite visibly ill.
  - sossles 3y ago
    Wow, that's terrible. That would be nearly impossible for me to produce, because GPs around me are sometimes booked out a week in advance.

ykonstant 3y ago

> I thought the GPs were just fine but it's true that they do offer antibiotics almost every time you have a cold. Those two sentences contradict each other; it is a very irresponsible thing to do. Also, yes, if every time you have a cold, you get antibiotics and they make you feel better, it is placebo.

fl0ki 3y ago
An even simpler explanation is return to mean. They were going to get better in a few days anyway, with or without antibiotics. But if they keep getting antibiotics each time, they're always going to think that they helped. Confirmation bias comes in here too, why not. What's even worse is that unnecessary use of antibiotics can affect someone's gut biome and leave them worse off for months, in some extreme cases years. I have had antibiotics only a couple of times in my life (for bleeding injuries) and I noticed the effect on my gut each time. To think that people create this problem when they don't have to is alarming. I hope for their sake their doctors _are_ prescribing them placebos so it's harmless ignorance.
- tppiotrowski 3y ago
  I took 1000mg of amoxicillin twice a day for about 6 months. I was terrified that it would destroy my gut flora and I would contract cdiff but in the end I didn't notice any adverse effects. Many people take yogurt with antibiotics but I didn't do that nor take probiotics. Walking out of the pharmacy with 8 boxes of antibiotics at a time was a fun experience. I can't remember but in Australia I think it was less than $5 a box without insurance.
- cycomanic 3y ago
  > An even simpler explanation is return to mean. They were going to get better in a few days anyway, with or without antibiotics. But if they keep getting antibiotics each time, they're always going to think that they helped. Confirmation bias comes in here too, why not. Yes there's the saying among doctors, for patients with a cold who want medication (e.g. antibiotics): "You can either wait and feel better in a week, or I give you medication and you feel better in 7 days."
zw7 3y ago
> if every time you have a cold, you get antibiotics and they make you feel better, it is placebo. Not necessarily. Azithromycin, a common antibiotic used for upper respiratory infections, has anti-inflammatory effects separate from it's antibacterial effects[1]. So it may make patients feel better even if they have a viral infection. Thus perpetuating the patient's belief that they "needed" antibiotics. [1]: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15590715/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15590715/

sossles 3y ago

Who goes to a GP for a cold? Your symptoms would have to be pretty severe to do that wouldn't they? And if so, maybe it's not just a cold.

ungamedplayer 3y ago
Gp visit is free. Often need doctor cert for work to take more than a day or two off.
- dugite-code 3y ago
  This hasn't been the case for most GP's for a while now. Bulk billing is becoming quite rare if you're not a pensioner.
  - ungamedplayer 3y ago
    Mine still is shrug
tap-snap-or-nap 3y ago
Almost all workplaces I have worked in insisted on having a sick certificate even for a single day. Several times I was asked to come to work for a few hours even when quite visibly ill.
- sossles 3y ago
  Wow, that's terrible. That would be nearly impossible for me to produce, because GPs around me are sometimes booked out a week in advance.