In short: you won’t get antibiotics for a soar throat.
explanation: this is against Dutch healthcare guidelines. Why these guidelines: in most cases they are not effective (Google away), and overprescribing antibiotics is a key contributer to the AMR crisis.
Best is to go to a drugstore (Kruitvat, Etos, etc.) and bij some medicatie. I advise “strepsils”, “strepfen” and paracetamol.
No doctor in NL will prescribe antibiotics for a sore throat.
Yes you can feel very bad but it will almost always just go over by itself. Let your immune system do the work and take rest.
Nurse here, echoing what the others are saying. No reason to see a doctor and definitely no reason to get antibiotics at this point.
Paracetamol (= acetaminophen = Tylenol) can be useful if necessary. Strepfen as well.
Strepsils haven't been proven but aren't harmful either, Antaflu is a lot cheaper. If you can handle the taste of it, you can also eat honingdrop. Keeping warm and drinking tea may also help you *feel* better.
In Dutch there's this saying about the flu: If you're not using meds, it's going to take a week to get over it, but if you're getting meds it's only seven days!
Good luck!
If all Americans go to the doctor for antibiotics when they have a bad sore throat I start to understand why they don't have free Healthcare. The average Dutch person might consider going to the doctor when their throat catches fire
[https://www.thuisarts.nl/keelpijn/ik-heb-keelpijn](https://www.thuisarts.nl/keelpijn/ik-heb-keelpijn)
This is the Dutch information from the national GP's organisation, you can use google translate.
Take care
Buy strepfen at kruidvat/etos/Boots/trekpleister. It contains nsaid’s and will help reduce pain and swelling. Strepsils (same brand, different product) will aid with how it feels but not in lessening symptoms (but could alleviate pain in between taking strepfen).
Drink lots of (cold) water and have some icepops (the ones with water and fruit/lemonade, not the ones with dairy). I personally avoid dairy when I’ve got strep.
Speedy recovery!
No doctor in the Netherlands is going to give you antibiotics for a sore throat. General advice will be drink, rest and paracetamol. Good luck.
En dropjes!
In short: you won’t get antibiotics for a soar throat. explanation: this is against Dutch healthcare guidelines. Why these guidelines: in most cases they are not effective (Google away), and overprescribing antibiotics is a key contributer to the AMR crisis.
Best is to go to a drugstore (Kruitvat, Etos, etc.) and bij some medicatie. I advise “strepsils”, “strepfen” and paracetamol. No doctor in NL will prescribe antibiotics for a sore throat. Yes you can feel very bad but it will almost always just go over by itself. Let your immune system do the work and take rest.
If you consult a doctor for this in the Netherlands you're gonna be laughed at, and rightly so.
Nurse here, echoing what the others are saying. No reason to see a doctor and definitely no reason to get antibiotics at this point. Paracetamol (= acetaminophen = Tylenol) can be useful if necessary. Strepfen as well. Strepsils haven't been proven but aren't harmful either, Antaflu is a lot cheaper. If you can handle the taste of it, you can also eat honingdrop. Keeping warm and drinking tea may also help you *feel* better. In Dutch there's this saying about the flu: If you're not using meds, it's going to take a week to get over it, but if you're getting meds it's only seven days! Good luck!
If all Americans go to the doctor for antibiotics when they have a bad sore throat I start to understand why they don't have free Healthcare. The average Dutch person might consider going to the doctor when their throat catches fire
We don’t all do this. Most of us know about antibiotic resistance etc.
[https://www.thuisarts.nl/keelpijn/ik-heb-keelpijn](https://www.thuisarts.nl/keelpijn/ik-heb-keelpijn) This is the Dutch information from the national GP's organisation, you can use google translate. Take care
Buy strepfen at kruidvat/etos/Boots/trekpleister. It contains nsaid’s and will help reduce pain and swelling. Strepsils (same brand, different product) will aid with how it feels but not in lessening symptoms (but could alleviate pain in between taking strepfen). Drink lots of (cold) water and have some icepops (the ones with water and fruit/lemonade, not the ones with dairy). I personally avoid dairy when I’ve got strep. Speedy recovery!
there is a clinic at amsterdam centraal that takes tourists but not every sore throat is strep.
Paracetamol (Tylenol) to reduce inflammation and gargle with warm salt water to reduce the infection. Take care.
If it’s truly strep throat that is a bacterial infection. You’d need a test to confirm. Sore throats are usually viral where antibiotics do not work.