[jnsie]

I have a friend who won't take medication (cold meds and otherwise) because they don't treat the illness "only the symptoms". While I understand the distinction I don't understand the lack of desire to treat the symptoms (assuming the meds aren't themselves damaging)

[danparsonson]

In at least some cases, the symptoms are part of the body's attempts to fight the sickness - fever for example, which raises body temperature, making it more hostile to the pathogen.

[kadoban]

True, but I have yet to hear any good reason to have a stuffed nose so bad you can't even function or sleep well. Pretty sure that's just the illness helping itself spread.

I don't take meds for fevers, but first thing I do when I'm getting a cold is make sure I still have a box of pseudoephedrene to use. It turns 90% of colds or flus into just a boring few days instead of abject misery.

The other two essentials IMO are an expectorant and a cough suppressant. All separate meds so you can pick and choose (it's also cheaper typically, the boxes of random mixed crap tend to be stupidly expensive).