Khaos

Cold Medicine

Today I had to go to the Doctors.  When I woke up I considered not going because I didn’t feel well.  That my sound strange but I wouldn’t normally bother a doctor with something as simple as the common cold.  And given that my throat was sore, my nose was running, and I kept wanting to sneeze I assumed that’s what I had.  I didn’t even have an appointment to cancel, (the surgery charges 5,250 円 (38 GBP, 57 USD) for one), as I had planned to walk in and wait.  In the end I decided to go anyway because I was really keen to get some blood tests out of the way.

I’m not quite sure how long I spent waiting.  Part of the wait was my own fault as I arrived an hour before the end of their lunch break.  And even though I was near the start of the queue they don’t necessarily see people in the order that they arrive.  It was worth the wait as I got to see an experienced doctor who ordered all my blood tests and quite a few more that I wasn’t expecting.  At first I didn’t mention the cold as it has been drummed into me by doctors in the U.K. that colds are not something you should waste a doctor’s time on.  But when the doctor was looking at my file he pointed out that my body temperature now appeared to be normal when before it was slightly too low.

My body temperature appeared normal because I was running a slight fever.  And the doctor then checked my ears, nose, and throat and proclaimed that I had a cold and that he would prescribe medication for this.  He then went on to ask me what my preferences in cold medication were and I told him that I have never been prescribed anything for a cold before.  This made him smile.  He likes the U.K. policy of not visiting a doctor with a cold but told me that in Japan many people prefer to get a prescription from the doctor for this.  I took the prescription.

And now I can tell people that a man who has been a Court physician to the Emperor of Japan treated me for the common cold.

7 Responses to “Cold Medicine”

  1. Alan in Belfast Says:

    > And now I can tell people that a man who has been a Court physician to the Emperor of Japan treated me for the common cold.

    And that’s not to be sneezed at!

  2. Geoff! Says:

    So long as you don’t have “heavy legs”… sounds very similar to this cultural observation… A curiously French complaint

  3. karen Says:

    (Think Alan has been spending too much time with Geoff and Norwin 🙂 )

    Just checked out that article and thankfully I don’t have heavy legs.

    The Japanese are very concerned about infectious diseases. Probably because of the close contact on the trains. Given that a real flu can take you out of work for 8 – 10 days it’s a big concern in a country with no welfare state to pay your sick leave for you.

  4. Khaos » Blog Archive » Japanese Pharmacists Says:

    […] was there to pick up a prescription for the common cold.  After filling in my symptoms and the required information I was then interviewed by the […]

  5. Norwin Says:

    “has been a Court physician”. Does that mean he isn’t any more? Does that mean he was sacked by the Emperor? Maybe he’s just a quack!!

  6. karen Says:

    Since he is Director of Medicine at the clinic I was attending I doubt he is any sort of quack 🙂

  7. Sophia Wilson Says:

    The usual remedy for common cold is just lots of water, fruit juice and also vitamin-C tablets.;.`